Black Bastards
by nignonymous
Summary: Team NGRO aren't the heroes of the story, not even close. But they do have a mission. They're going to make the world a better place, no matter how many people have to die to get there.
1. myintrotoletuknow

"You're talking about a death squad".

The woman was standing in an office in the Atlas military headquarters. An associate of hers had called her and asked for her to come in on a project he had been working on. She had listened to his proposal and couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she was talking with was also part of the military, but not anyone important. He liked it that way, just high enough on the ladder to have some influence, but not high enough that he got heat when things went sideways. He had handed her some files when she walked in. They were inmate files from Whitestone, three of them. The names and records of the people he wanted to work for him. She looked through the files and didn't like what she saw one bit.

"You make it sound so ugly when you say it like that" the man replied. This was going better than he thought it would. He had expected her to outright reject the idea. If she was still talking to him that meant that a part of her was for it. "All I'm suggesting is that we have some people do a little work for us, the kind of work we couldn't give to regular soldiers or hunters."

The woman shot back "You mean the kind of work no one with a functioning moral compass would do. Orchestrating the murders of another nation's citizens, you realize this could start a war?"

"Only if they find out we were behind it. Look, Ironwood has his own private army doing god knows what for him, I don't see why we shouldn't get in on that action"

"The Special Ops are the Special Ops, you're talking about taking some criminals, kids at that, and turning them into your own personal assassins."

"How is that any different from what we do already? Look at the academies; we take kids, turn them into killers and let them loose on the world. These kids are already killers, they're perfect."

"This is illegal for one. If Ironwood gets a single whiff of this he'll have us both arrested. I did not get my stripes so I could spend every day being someone's cell bitch"

"You think I wanna be on the all-dick diet the rest of my life? Look, there's no way anyone could connect them to us, and Ironwood has more important things to do than worry about what we're doing."

The woman seemed to relax slightly at those words. She picked up one of the files and handed it to the man. "Fine, I'm in, but not him. I can't allow him to be a part of this."

The man sighed. "What's the issue?"

"Do you have any idea the kind of blowback we'd get from the Faunus community if anyone saw him walking around?"

"The press never released his name or picture, and the trial was closed to the public. Poppy retired and went back to Menagerie last week, and Judge Aithne's been dead for years. You and I are the only people on this side of the world who know that guy's real identity. I've thought this through, don't worry."

The woman finally relented at those words. "Fine. So what now?" she asked.

The man went for the door. "Now you grab a coat, we have some people to meet".

oOoOoOoO

They had made their way to Whitestone prison. The man showed his ID to the guard and they were taken to the prison's lowest level. A guard on the bottom floor directed them to a room in the back. When they went inside they found three people cuffed to chairs with bags over their heads.

The woman looked at the bound men and sighed. "Is this really necessary?"

"What can I say? I have a flair for the dramatic." He walked up to one of the bound men. "Now then, let's see what's behind door number one." He pulled the bag off the head of the left most captive.

The word that best described this one was average. Average height, average build, average face. There was nothing remarkable about him at all. "Noah Pyrite, age 17." The man spoke as he went through his file. "According to your file you grew up in Mistral, making your way as a con artist. Charms that could keep grimm away, medicine that could improve your vitality, dust, you were like a one stop shop. Of course it was all bullshit. The junk you sold was worse than useless, which people eventually caught on to. You ended up moving to Atlas when things got too hot where you lived. You also had one particular scam you liked to run. You'd assume the identity of a hunter in training and send distress messages to their parents to get them to wire you money. Got caught when you tried it on a couple whose kid had died a week before. Got busted for fraud and now you're three years into a ten stretch. Did I leave anything out?"

Noah had no idea what was happening. He was sitting in his cell when three guards came in, tied him to a chair, and brought him to the basement. Now he was sitting here listening to a man he just met recite his life story. "You've obviously done your homework. What do you want with me?" he asked.

The man stood in front of him with a small grin on his face. "I understand you have a lot of questions. Now for number 2." He pulled the bag off of the next one down. It was a large man with a muscular build. He had black dreadlocks and a scar that ran from above his left eyebrow down to his chin, with a solid white eye in the socket in contrast to the normal green one in the right. If he objected at all to the situation he found himself in, it didn't show on his face.

The man pulled out a different file. "George Garwood, age 17. Grew up in Vacuo. Loved fighting, you were so good at it everyone thought you had what it took to go pro. Even had a couple matches in the Under-15 circuit. Of course, life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. When you were thirteen you got into a fight with an older individual. Bashed his skull in. Wouldn't say word one as to what the fight was about, ended up getting sent to Big Box for manslaughter. At least until I recommended to the warden that you be transferred to Whitestone. I must say, you're taking all of this really well." The man looked at George while he was talking, that blank expression never left his face for a second.

George shrugged as well as he could while tied to a chair. "Eh" was all he said in response. He didn't know why he had been brought here, but he didn't really care that much either. He was eating lunch when he had suddenly fallen asleep and next thing he knew he was down here. "I'm a get the rest of my lunch when we're done, right?"

"All things in time, son" the main said. "Now, number three". He pulled the hood off the third person with a look on his face like he caught a whiff of something foul.

Beneath the third hood was a young looking boy with white hair and brown eyes. He was about medium height, but he was incredibly skinny. He seemed to recognize the man standing in front of him, a grin widening on his face as realization set in. "How's it going officer? I never thought I'd see you again." The boy began to laugh. He looked over and saw the woman standing next to the door. "Oh shit, you're here too? Is this some kind of reunion party? I guess all we need now is those people from-"

The woman walked up to him and punched him across the face. A loud crack rang through the air as blood flowed from the boy's mouth. The woman glared at him with burning hate in her eyes. "Shut the fuck up" she spat. It took everything in her to keep from killing the boy then and there.

Reid Wenland was serving a life sentence for multiple homicide. He had grown up in Atlas, right in the middle of the rising tensions of the Faunus Rights Movement. When he was ten years old, his parents were killed in a White Fang attack. After that he had fallen in with a radical pro-human group, the poison they spouted was like the gospel to his ears. When he was twelve, he threw a firebomb through the window of a Faunus shelter. Ten Faunus burned to death that night, four of them kids his age or younger. When he was arrested, all he said was "I don't see what the big deal is, not like I was killing _people_ ". He pled guilty at trial, avoiding the death penalty due to being a minor, and the case was settled quickly. The actual death toll had been kept out of the media in order to prevent an incident, but the rumors whispered in the streets were enough to send tensions to near boiling point. The only people who knew for certain who he was or what he had done were the judge who sentenced him, and the cops who arrested him. Two of the officers in question were in this room as a matter of fact.

The man spoke again. "I understand you all may be confused, but I assure you what is happening here now is for your benefit. Congratulations, you've all been given a second chance at life."

Noah spoke up first. "What do you mean by second chance?"

The man could barely conceal his enthusiasm. "You've all been granted early release. Records wiped clean. People of your skill deserve better than to rot in prison, and I decided that all of you are going to work for me from now on."

George spoke up next. "Work for you? Need a job done, call a hunter."

The man laughed. "Can't get a hunter to do the things I need done. I'm not gonna lie, you kids are going to get into some ugly shit. Alright, we've spent enough time down here, let's get you suited up and shipped out." He motioned to the guards and they began to untie the captives.

They walked back to the elevator and eventually made their way outside the prison. There was a truck parked in a field nearby. Standing next to it was a young girl with straight black hair and blue eyes. The man looked at the girl and smiled at her. "Boys, meet the final piece of the puzzle." She looked as if being anywhere else would be preferable to where she was now. Noah put on a friendly smile and extended a hand toward her, but she slapped it away.

"Do not touch me. Do not speak to me. Do not look in my direction." She looked Noah right in the eyes as she berated him. She pulled a cloth out of her pocket and wiped her hand.

"She seems nice" Reid said with a faint chuckle. "Who is she?"

The girl answered his question. "I am Unit A6125. Atlesian Mobile Weapons Platform Model 15, Codename: Oriana. Let me make myself clear, I am only here because I was ordered by my creator. The sooner I am able to rid myself of you people the better." She said "people" the way others would say "colon cancer".

The man stepped next to her and placed a hand on her head. "Some of the guys from R&D whipped her up. I looked through the design documents and I just had to have her on my team. This right here is a bona-fide murder machine. She'll be going along with you guys as a field test. She'll also make sure you all stay in line. I gave her an order to waste the three of you if you get out of hand."

Oriana interjected. "Please, give me a reason."

The woman opened the truck and pulled a bag out of the back seat. She opened the bag and pulled out three scrolls and a credit card. She handed a scroll to each of the former convicts, and gave the card to Noah as she spoke to them. "You'll be taken to a transport station. Your tickets have already been taken care of. You'll have to take care of acquiring weapons on your own, hence the card. Once you land you'll have a few days to prepare before the operation begins. Keep your scroll on you at all times. We'll use it to contact you when it's time to work." She pulled a second bag out of the truck. "Change of clothes for each of you. Showing up at the station in prison blues would raise lots of unneeded questions." She pulled a folder out of her coat and handed it to Oriana. "These are their applications. Hand these in as soon as you arrive, okay?" Oriana nodded.

As the three boys put on their new clothes, Noah turned to the man and asked one last question. "Where are we going?"

The man had a large smile on his face. "Beacon Academy."


	2. Spit Your Game

One incredibly awkward drive later they had arrived at the station. Once they boarded their airbus they sat not speaking a word to each other. Noah looked around and noticed that they were the only ones on board. He also saw that Oriana had decided three rows away from the rest of them. This silence was starting to get to him, so he decided to address his new teammates.

"I can't stand this. How about we introduce ourselves properly. My name is Noah Pyrite. I like tall, shapely women."

"George Garwood. I like big girls"

"Reid Wenland. I like girls that smell like flowers." He looked at George with a raised eyebrow. "Are you really into that BBW stuff?"

George smiled. "They're like walking pillows. Besides, scent? Are you one of those weirdoes who goes around smelling chicks? Is that what it's like out there these days?"

"I happen to enjoy a nice smelling girl, is that a crime?"

"Is that why you got locked up? You went around sniffing girls' chairs and shit?"

Noah interrupted their back and forth. "Alright, it's another two hours before we land in Vale, so let's use this time to take care of some business. First things first, I nominate myself as the boss while we're in the field."

Reid looked annoyed. "Why should you be leader?"

Noah pointed at Reid. "Because it sure can't be you"

Reid was getting angrier. "Why not?"

"A blind man could see that you have some kind of history with those two. You must have done some real heinous shit to piss them off that bad. If we're going to do this job we need to keep the atrocities to a minimum."

"Why do you assume I did something awful?"

"How about I stop assuming. What did you get sent away for?"

Reid decided that this point wasn't worth arguing over. "Fine." He pulled out his scroll and began reading the news.

Noah spoke again. "Second order of business, I think we all know what kind of work they have in mind for us."

George spoke up. "Killin folk."

"Yeah. You guys cool with that?"

George laughed. "We all gotta die someday."

Noah couldn't help but chuckle. "I appreciate your enthusiasm."

Reid had a pensive look on his face. "I don't get it. If all we're going to be doing is killing people why would they go through the effort of getting us? It's not like there's a shortage of killers out there."

Noah thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Does it matter? Yesterday we were prisoners sleeping with our ass to the wall. Today we're free. If all it takes to keep that freedom is a little murder, then that's fine by me."

"Can you people be quiet? Hearing your voices makes me sick." Oriana had spoken without even bothering to look in their direction. She seemed to be enraptured by a stain on the ceiling.

Reid looked up from his scroll and scowled at her. "Is being a total bitch just part of your programming or what?" he asked

"Yes" the girl replied.

Noah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at the girl. "What is your deal exactly? You say you're some kind of robot, but how do we know you're not just some girl off her meds?"

Oriana groaned and stood up. "Fine, let me show you." She held out her arm. She concentrated and in seconds her arm had folded in on itself and transformed into a machine gun. She looked at Noah like he was something she found under her shoe. "Do you believe me now, or do I have to bring down this aircraft?" her arm changed back to normal and she sat back down.

George looked awestruck. "That is some wild shit right there. So Oriana, are you seeing anybody?" His mind raced with thoughts of other "enhancements" she might be equipped with.

The girl didn't even look at him. "If you touch me I will cut your arms off."

George ignored her threat. He looked back at Noah. "Guess it makes sense why she is the way she is."

Noah was curious what he meant by that. "How so?"

"Think about it. If I told you that I built a walking weapon of mass destruction shaped like a ordinary girl what would you say?"

Noah thought for a second. "Why?"

George smiled. "Exactly. That kinda shit would raise all sorts of questions. Questions people may not like the answer to. But if the girl in question is a complete asshole it makes people not wanna get too close, makes them less likely to find out things they shouldn't."

Noah was surprised. His teammate was much smarter than he let on. "Hey George-". Noah was about to speak before he was interrupted by the sudden shout of his other teammate.

"Fucking White Fang!" Reid shouted as he was looking at his scroll. His jaw was tight and a vein in his neck was pulsing.

Noah pulled out his own scroll and opened the news app. On the front page was an article about a dust shop in Mistral that had been bombed by the White Fang. Two employees were killed in the blast. According to the report the shop had been overcharging Faunus customers. The bomb was the Fang's way of telling them to cut that out.

"Not a fan of them I take it?" Noah asked.

"Fuck every last one. Sooner they're wiped off the planet the better."

The White Fang were a divisive topic on Remnant, especially in Atlas. Some people thought that there was a possibility that they could return to their roots as a peaceful protest group. Others felt that they were too far gone and needed to be treated the same as any other criminal organization. Then there were the ones who felt that the group's newfound violent nature was justified after years of hatred and discrimination. There were plenty of WF in Whitestone. If you were a Faunus in that prison you had to claim affiliation just to survive.

Noah sighed and put his scroll away. "Everyone gets theirs in the end. For now, let's get some rest. We've still got another hour before we get to where we're going."

oOoOoOoO

Oriana had left the group as soon as they landed. The rest of them made their way to Vale's merchant ward. They found a shop that sold various weapons and ammunition. They walked through the door and were greeted by an older man with grey hair and several scars on his face. "Welcome to my store. How can I help you?" He smiled at them. His mouth was full of missing teeth.

Noah took the lead. "We're looking for weapons."

The owner laughed. "Well you've come to the right place. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"We're just going to look around for a bit if that's okay."

"Alright. Be sure to ask if you have any questions."

They walked through the shop looking for weapons that suited them. Noah looked through a shelf of various blades and bludgeons before something caught his eye. It was a pair of handguns. Silver finish, 20 round magazine, no gimmicks. They were perfect. He called out to the shopkeeper. "How much for these?"

The clerk grinned at Noah. "I see you're the type that favors simplicity. Those'll run you 1000 lien."

"I'll take it. Can I get a case of ammo as well? I want to break these in before school starts."

The clerk rang up his order. "That'll be 1300 total." he swiped the card that Noah handed to him.

When he handed him the receipt Noah noticed that George was having a conversation with another employee. The employee was frowning. "I think you would need to talk to a smith about that. I don't know, what you're describing sounds like it'd be more useful against people than grimm."

George had a small grin on his face. "Fight's a fight."

Reid was in the back looking up and down for something he liked. He grabbed an item off a shelf and examined it. It was a shovel. The blade and tip were both sharpened. Reid ran his thumb along the edge and a small line of blood appeared. When he pressed a button on the side it transformed into a shotgun. Reid's eyes went wide. He went to the front desk and placed it on the counter. "How much for this?" he asked the clerk.

The clerk looked at it. "Ah, now this is a fine weapon. This is 2000 lien. Tell you what, I'll even throw in the extended magazine upgrade free of charge."

Reid looked like he was about to faint. "I'll take it, a case of buck and a box of slugs too." As they were leaving the shop with their haul the clerk waved them goodbye. "Come back soon. You're always welcome in my store."

As they walked through the market they had walked past a smith's shop. George noticed and stopped his teammates. "Hold up, I need to take care of something." He got the card from Noah and went inside. Half an hour later he was back with a small box in his hand. After some prodding from his teammates he opened it. Inside were two thick pieces of steel. George pulled them out of the box and they saw that there were holes drilled into them, with a curved grip on the bottom.

"Knuckledusters. Primitive, yet effective." Noah said as he looked at what George had bought. He looked closer and saw that one of them had an engraving on the top. "N-L-M-B? What does that mean?"

George placed his weapons back in the box. "I'll tell you later. Anything else we need?"

Noah thought for a moment. "I think that's enough for today. Let's find a hotel or something to stay the night." He got a call on his scroll. "Hello?"

It was Oriana. "I have handed in your applications. The administrators would like to interview you before you are officially enrolled." She said what she needed to and hung up.

"Love you too." He put his scroll away. "Alright guys, change of plans. We need to talk to some people before we can call it a day."

OoOoOoOoO

Noah sat in an office. There were bookshelves on the walls, a few paintings, and a large desk. Behind the desk sat an older looking man with grey hair and glasses.

"Greetings Mr. Pyrite. My name is Professor Ozpin, headmaster here at Beacon. I understand you wish to enroll here."

Noah put on his most professional face. "Yes sir. I heard that Beacon was the best out of the academies, and I wanted to see for myself."

Ozpin looked over Noah's application. "It says on your application that you never attended any school before. May I ask why?"

"As much as I would have liked to attend Sanctum, there were certain obligations that prevented me from doing so. Family business, you understand."

Ozpin frowned at him. "The path you intend to travel is not an easy one. Do you truly understand what you are getting into?"

Noah smiled at him. "I am aware of the danger. I believe that a path free of hardship is not one worth traveling."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow at him. "I see. Before I finalize your enrollment I need to test your aptitude."

Noah put his hands together and smiled. "That sounds interesting. What kind of test did you have in mind?"

OoOoOoOoO

Reid looked around the classroom he was being interviewed in. the only thing of interest was a board with a map of Vale and several notes and photos stuck to it. He looked at the person interviewing him, a slender man with green hair and glasses so thick you couldn't see his eyes.

He was looking over Reid's application. "It says here that you're from Atlas?"

Reid shrugged. "Yeah, my dad was a graduate of Atlas Academy. I learned most of what I know from him."

"Interesting. What is he doing now?"

Reid's silence answered his question.

The professor hastily changed the subject. "It says here that you never attended any combat school."

Reid looked down at the ground. "There were some things I needed to get sorted out before I tried going to school."

"What made you choose Beacon? Why not attend Atlas Academy?"

"Too many people know me in Atlas. I needed a fresh start."

The professor looked at Reid, the light reflecting off of his glasses. "You understand that there is no small amount of danger involved with being a student here."

Reid grinned. "What's life without risk?"

The professor nodded. "Indeed. Normally we would get an idea of a student's abilities from their transcripts, but in your case I would need to test your aptitude before I can allow you to become an official student."

Reid looked up at the professor. "Okay. What kind of test did you have in mind?"

OoOoOoO

The red clad, round professor looked at George's application with a look of trepidation. It didn't provide much information other than the fact that he was born in Vacuo. There were no transcripts since he never attended a school, he had no next of kin, and he had no friends to use as a reference.

The professor tried to get an idea of who this person was. "So, according to this you're from Vacuo. What did you before coming to Vale?"

"Pass" George said.

The professor looked at him confused. "I'm sorry?"

"Pass. That means ask me something else."

The professor coughed into his hand. "Why did you decide to attend Beacon?"

George's face was a blank. "For fun"

He looked into the prospective student's eyes. He was serious. "For fun? This is no joke young man. Becoming a hunter is incredibly dangerous, even the training may prove fatal for some."

George started laughing. "If I die then it was just my time."

"That certainly is an interesting perspective. Before I finalize your application I need to make sure that you have the necessary skills to survive your time at Beacon."

"You wanna throw down? That's cool with me." George rose from his seat and got into a fighting stance.

The professor smiled at him. "Let's get started then."

OoOoOoOoO

The three of them went to their dorm after they finished with their interviews. They were badly beaten, but they were now officially students at Beacon Academy.

"You all look terrible" Oriana said to them. She was sitting on a bed looking the same as she did earlier.

"How come you're not all beat up?" Reid asked. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He didn't think it was possible to be hit so hard. Their entrance exam was a one minute sparring session with a professor. Although calling it sparring would be disingenuous, they were beaten for a full minute. The only passing condition was being able to stand up at the end.

"I had taken precautions with my application. They saw my transcripts and accepted me without issue."

George looked disappointed. "Shame it was only a minute. I haven't had a fight that good in years."

Noah hobbled to his bed and fell over. "I am exhausted. Let's get some rest, finish prepping tomorrow."

oOoOoOOoo

They spent the next two days travelling all over Vale at Noah's suggestion. "We need to know the whole city like the back of our hands. Alleyways, shortcuts, stash spots, everything." When they weren't traversing the city they were training with their new weapons. Noah went to the shooting range to perfect his gun skills, Reid went to an empty field to train with his shovel, and George went to the school's gym to adjust to the weight of his new weapons. In time, it was the second day of Beacon's new school year. After an excursion into the forest the three convicts and one robot were officially dubbed Team NGRO. No one objected to Noah being team leader, and they spent the rest of the day in their room recuperating. That night as they were in their room their scrolls beeped. There was a message, an address and a single word.

"Tonight"

They looked at each other. It was time to do what they were brought out to do.

Noah took the lead. "I was wondering when we'd get started. George, go into the city and find a dust shop and get four bottles of red. We'll meet you outside the school."

George nodded and left the room.

Noah turned to Reid. "Don't worry about bringing your weapon. I just need you guys to help with cleaning up."

"Okay. Are we really doing this?" Reid asked. He looked like he was having second thoughts.

"It's not like we have a choice" Noah replied, with a glance toward Oriana.


	3. Walk Up To Your House

Noah and Reid waited at the bottom of the cliff. Minutes later George walked up with a briefcase in his hand. "Is that the stuff?" Noah asked him.

George scowled. "Yeah. You have any idea how expensive this was? Someone's been going around robbing every dust shop in the city."

"As long as you got it. Where's Oriana?"

Reid answered him. "She said she would meet us there. Something about making sure the police stay away."

None of them objected to that. If she could help them without them actually having to interact with her then that was perfect. They traveled to the residential district, making sure the three of them took different routes. They got to their destination and found Oriana waiting for them.

"You are late." She sounded as irritated as ever. She was looking at her hand. There was a small display in her palm that showed a feed of police activity in Vale. "There is a robbery in progress downtown. Multiple armed men, possibly White Fang. There are only two people inside, so you should be done before anyone comes by."

Noah smiled at her. "You're pretty handy."

She glared at him. "Be quiet. This is all the help you will get from me tonight. I am going to bed." She walked back toward the dorm.

Reid raised an eyebrow. "Does she need to sleep?"

George shrugged. "No idea." He turned to Noah. So, how you want to play this, boss?"

Noah pulled out his pistol and racked the slide. "Let's go with the direct approach."

oOoOoOoOo

The woman was in the kitchen washing dishes. Her husband was at the table reading the paper. The woman's eyes went to the necklace her husband had bought her. It was definitely expensive. It was made of pure platinum, and it shined like the stars. "I still can't believe you bought this. It's not my birthday, or our anniversary. What's the occasion?" She said to her husband.

"I just wanted to buy you something" the man said to his wife. He told a small lie. He had just gotten a call from a major weapons manufacturer. They had liked his design and wanted to enter mass production. They gave him a handsome sum for his idea, the necklace was a small amount in comparison.

"It's lovely, but I don't think it's good to spend so much. We don't-" her words were interrupted by a knock at the door. The man started to get up from his seat before he was stopped by his wife's hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll get it" she said to him with a smile. The knocking continued. "I'm coming, I'm coming" she shouted. She went to the door and opened it. There was no one there. The woman was confused. She looked around and saw only an empty street. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked of the night. A bullet through her head was the only reply.

The man jumped at the sound of the gunshot. He rose from his seat and went to the door. When he turned the corner he saw his wife on the ground not moving. There was a pool of blood where she lay. Three men were standing over her. "Honey?" his voice was barely above a whisper. He realized what was happening and his face twisted with hate. "What did you-"he began to shout before two bullets ripped through his chest. He fell to the ground. He wheezed and bled as he watched the one with the gun step closer to him. The man's eyes begged for mercy. His pleas were ignored. The gunman raised his pistol over the man's head and fired a third time.

oOoOoOoO

"That was some professional shit" George said to his leader. "Where you learn that at?"

"Read it in a book" Noah motioned to the bodies. "Take those to the back. We've got to take care of them." He noticed George's hand was on the woman's necklace. He put his gun to George's temple. "Put that down. We're here for one reason, we can't afford any distractions."

George put his hands up. "Okay, I got it. No stealing." He hoisted the woman's body over his shoulder as Reid and Noah grabbed the man by his arms and legs. They were brought to the kitchen.

"I wonder who they were" Reid said.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"These people, they had hopes and dreams, things that they wanted out of life, and we come out of nowhere and put an end to all of it. It's kind of sad."

George shook his head at Reid. "No sense in asking why. It was their time, that's all."

Noah took the case from George and opened it. Inside were four bottles of red dust.

Reid was curious. "Why did you need this stuff anyway?"

Noah opened a bottle and began sprinkling dust onto the man's corpse. "Because this way we'll be able to cover our tracks." He took out a second bottle and emptied it over the woman's body. "You guys might want to step back. If what I've read about dust fires are true then this is about to be hot as-"

"What was that noise?" a new voice interrupted their work. The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer. "Is that blood? What's going on?" the footsteps made their way to the kitchen. It was a young girl, she couldn't be older than thirteen. She saw the people in the kitchen and froze. Her gaze went from each of them to the bodies on the floor. Her eye's widened with terror. "Mom? Dad?" her voice shook. She looked as if she was going to scream. In an instant Reid was behind her with his hand clamped over her mouth. He looked like he was about to vomit.

"What do we do 'bout this?" George asked Noah. Noah looked like he was thinking something over.

Reid looked furious. "She's just a kid."

"She's a witness" George retorted.

Noah decided to nip this argument in the bud. "That's enough. You two head back, I'll handle this."

Reid glared at him. "What do you mean 'handle it'?"

"It means I am your leader and you listen to my orders. Now get out of here."

Reid let go of the girl. He and George went out the back. Only Noah and the girl were left in the house. Noah looked at the girl. She had wet herself and tears were running down her face. Noah walked to the girl. She tried to back away but she stumbled and fell. "Are you gonna kill me?" she asked him.

Noah was quiet for a moment. "Yeah" was his eventual reply. She cried even harder. He knelt down next to the girl. "What's your name, kid?"

"Maralyn" the girl replied through choked sobs.

Noah sighed. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't cry. I promise you won't feel a thing." He wiped away her tears. "Close your eyes." Maralyn stopped crying and closed her eyes. He stood up and walked behind her. "Relax, Maralyn." Noah tried his best to comfort the girl. He aimed his gun at the back of her head. Her breathing slowed. "I'm sorry" was the last thing the girl heard before he pulled the trigger. She was dead before she hit the ground

He carried her body and laid it down next to her parents. He took the other two dust bottles and emptied them throughout the kitchen. He held out his hand. He focused and a small ball of light appeared in his palm. The light faded, revealing a book of matches. He stepped out of the kitchen into the backyard. He struck a match and threw it onto the dust. Instantly the entire kitchen was engulfed in flames. It was kind of awe inspiring. Noah had read about dust fires before, but to see it in front of him was something else. It was just like he had read. The flames burned much hotter than normal. Both flesh and bone were completely burned away. Soon the flames had spread to the rest of the house. Noah decided that this was a good time to make his escape.

oOoOoOo

He walked into his room, right past George and Reid. He went straight for Oriana and grabbed her by the collar.

She looked more annoyed than anything else. "So, how did it go?" she asked him as if he had just gone grocery shopping.

"Why didn't you tell us who else was there!?" he snapped at her.

Oriana sighed. "It was their idea. They wanted to see how you would react to an unknown variable. From the look on your face, I imagine you did well."

"What do you mean 'they'?"

"Who do you think? The people who hired you."

Noah let her go. "Next time, tell us what we're walking into. Any more surprises and I walk."

Noah walked toward his bed, but Reid stopped his movement.

"What happened with the girl?" he asked. Noah didn't like the anxiousness he heard in that question.

Noah looked at Reid and shrugged. "I let her go."

Reid looked shocked. "Really?"

"I wasn't really feeling it. She was crying and she had pissed all over herself and she was begging me not to do it. Shit was embarrassing. I just felt bad for her so I let her go."

Reid sighed with relief. "Thank god. I'm sorry about earlier, I almost lost my head."

Noah put a hand on Reid's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It's been a long night. Let's get some sleep."

The three of them went to bed. An hour later Noah lay awake staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep with all of the thoughts running through his mind. He was curious as to who those people were and why they needed to be killed. He wondered what was in it for the people who freed him. But what troubled him the most was how little tonight's events had bothered him. He had never killed anyone before, but tonight he did it like it came naturally to him. He didn't even feel bad about it, in fact he felt nothing. That wasn't normal.

He eventually fell asleep to the sound of snoring. As he drifted off he thought he heard someone crying.


	4. I Think They Like Me

The next morning Team NGRO were in their room preparing to go to class. As Reid put on his uniform he complained to his teammates. "Why do we have to do this again?"

Noah looked at himself in a mirror. Average and inconspicuous, just the way he liked it. "Because not going to class at all would raise too many red flags. Besides, I've never gone to school before, so I'm kind of excited."

George slipped his weapon into his bag and hoisted it over his shoulder. "I hear that. Never been myself. What do we have today?"

Noah pulled a schedule out of his pocket. "Dust Theory with Professor Peach, History with Professor Oobleck, Combat Training with Professor Port, then two hours of free training to end the day."

"This is stupid. What's even the point of having history lessons? How would knowing about the past help us fight?" Reid said, looking through his bag to make sure he had all of his books.

Noah tried not to laugh. Even though Reid had spent most of the morning complaining he was the first one up. "No such thing as useless information. Who knows, you might even have fun. I'll take a classroom over a six-by-five any day."

George had a lecherous smile on his face as he ogled Oriana in her uniform. "Cute girls in short skirts, hot professors, what's not to like?" he turned toward Reid. "Plenty of guys too, if that's what you're into."

"Fuck you." Reid said as he punched George on the arm.

"Will you shut up? I do not wish to spend an entire day listening to you degenerates." It was the first thing Oriana had said all morning. She looked even angrier than normal. She was not a fan of Beacon's uniform. When she had first seen it she refused to even try it on. "I am not wearing something that looks like it belongs in cheap pornography" were her exact words. Noah decided to do something nice for her. He walked up to her and ran his hand along her skirt. It grew in length, going down to her ankles.

She blinked in surprise. "How did you do that?"

Noah grinned at her. "That's my semblance: Imitations and alterations. You don't have to thank me, I just felt like doing it."

Oriana grabbed her bag. "I have no intention of thanking you." as she left the scowl on her face had slightly lessened in intensity. The rest of the team followed behind her.

As they walked down the hallway George turned to her. "So Oriana, I've been wondering. What's your type?"

She looked almost puzzled. It was a first. "What?"

"What kind of guy do you like?"

"Ones that are not you."

"Obviously. I'll put it to you another way. If you had to describe your ideal man, what would he be like?"

Noah and Reid walked closer to them and listened in.

Oriana crossed her arms in front of her and thought for a moment. "An older man that smells of blood and gunpowder. A veteran of countless battles, his body would be covered in scars. We would lay together at night and I would listen to him talk about the places he had fought and the people he had killed. That is the kind of man I want." She was smiling as she spoke, like she was thinking of a certain person.

George smiled and clapped her on the back. "You got strange tastes, but it's good that you know what you want."

Reid's face had gone slightly red. "I never figured you for the romantic type. But wait, can you even…?" he was trying to think of how to word this question. She was about to answer when Noah interrupted them.

"Let's not get into that right now" he said as he stepped between them. They put their conversation on hold as they walked into the classroom.

OoOoOoOoO

There were no other students in the room when they got there. The only other person was a woman with short, light pink hair wearing a grey suit and black gloves. She was writing something on the board when she turned around at the sound of the classroom door opening.

"You guys are eager to learn huh? Class doesn't start for another forty-five minutes" she said to the new students. She walked toward them and extended a hand. "I'm Professor Peach. I teach Dust Theory, Anthropology, and Advanced Combat Tactics for third years."

Noah shook the woman's hand. "I'm Noah, these are my teammates. It's a pleasure to meet you professor."

Professor Peach smiled at him. "I hope you enjoy my class. Dust is such a mysterious thing. We use it every day, but we know so little about it."

George shook the woman's hand as well. "I know what you mean. I hear a student almost blew herself up messing around with that stuff."

Reid had a stupid grin on his face as he shook the woman's hand. _She smells nice,_ he thought. "She smells nice" he said. He saw the looks his teammates gave him and grew red. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did" replied the professor. She and the rest of Reid's team took several steps back. Reid buried his face in his hands. She had a small grin on her face. "Out of curiosity, what do I smell like?"

Reid looked down at the ground. "Soil, fertilizer, and different kinds of flowers. Do you garden often?"

Peach looked surprised. "Yes. I planted most of the flowers around the school. You've got a good nose."

Reid looked at her with an awkward smile. "I used to garden a lot with my mom, so I recognize the smell. The flowers are beautiful by the way."

The teacher smiled back at him. "Thank you. It's a lot of work, but I think it's worth it to add a little more color to this place."

They began to talk about gardening techniques and various flowers for a time. Eventually more students walked into the classroom. Professor Peach motioned to the empty seats in the room. "Time flies huh? Well, grab a seat, class is about to begin"

oOoOoOoOo

Classes flew by before any of them knew it. They learned about the various applications of dust in machinery and weapons. Oobleck taught them about the major battles of the Great War. The only hiccup occurred when George nearly derailed Port's class after he asked if it was possible to eat a Grimm. Other than that they played the part of students perfectly. Oriana went back to her room as soon as free training was over. The rest of them were standing in the hallway when Noah called his team together.

"Alright guys, I have an order as your leader. Go make a friend."

The rest of them were confused. Reid asked the obvious question. "Why?"

George was the next to speak. "Never thought I say this but I agree with whitehead. What's the point?"

"We need to do everything we can to not look suspicious. That means acting like normal students, and normal students socialize with people. Go find someone and talk to them. You might even enjoy it." Noah's tone meant that this wasn't a suggestion.

"You got it boss. Maybe I'll find someone strong to fight. Haven't had a good scrap in a minute." George said before he left.

"Fuck it, why not?" Reid shrugged and went in a different direction.

Noah walked toward the school's entrance. _I said all that, but who should I talk to_ he thought. He looked around and didn't find anyone who looked interesting. He looked and looked until something stuck out. A girl, white hair, icy blue eyes, pale skin. Something about her looked familiar. He tried to remember where he had seen her before when it hit him. He had never seen her before, but he had seen someone who looked like her. Whenever he read about the White Fang one name that repeatedly came up was the Schnee Dust Company. Their alleged mistreatment of Faunus workers had made them a target of the Fang's attacks for years, some even referred to their bloody campaign as the Dust War. In one article Noah had read about the SDC there was a picture of the company's president. He had the same white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. _A Schnee. This should be interesting._ A wicked grin spread across Noah's face as he walked toward her.

He ran his hands through his hair and over his face. His hair grew longer and changed color, and he now had a pair of horns on his forehead. He could barely contain himself. He moved closer to her. As he passed her he muttered under his breath "fucking Schnee".

The bait worked. The girl's head whipped around. "Excuse me? Do you have some kind of problem?" she said, indignant.

"You're goddamn right I got a problem. Your company is a problem."

"If you have some complaint about the SDC take it up with upper management."

"I've got a better idea. You can tell your father that he's going to pay for what he did."

A different girl stepped between the two of them. She was a tall blonde with purplish eyes. There were two girls on either side of her. A short girl with red and black hair, and a tall girl with a black bow on her head. "Let's all calm down. What exactly is your problem with Weiss?"

Noah looked at the girl. "My father worked for the SDC, spending eight hours a day in the mines. He was a good worker; always on time, never stole nothing, worked the full shift every time. One day his boss cuts his pay, says the order came from the top. My dad didn't mind much, he just took some extra shifts to cover the difference. But, after a while his body couldn't take it. People weren't meant to spend too much time in those tunnels. One day he just… collapsed, and he never got back up." His eyes welled up with tears. "I called the boss, he told me that he should've considered himself lucky that anyone would even give a Faunus a job in Atlas. That's how little my father meant to them. They killed that man and they don't even care."

The reaction was what he expected for the most part. The blond girl had looked away, the short girl had tears in her eyes, and the girl with the bow had balled her fists up and had a look of indescribable anger on her face. What Noah didn't expect was the way the Schnee girl reacted. She had started crying. That was strange. From what he had heard the Schnees were colder and harder than the Mantle wastelands. Seeing the tears fall from the girls scarred face almost broke Noah's concentration.

"I'm sorry" was the only thing Weiss said before running off. The short girl ran after her. The girl with the bow put a hand on Noah's shoulder. It was too much. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He fell to the ground and began to laugh. He couldn't focus anymore. The horns on his head vanished, and his hair turned back to normal.

"What the hell?" the blond girl asked.

"What?" Noah asked wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Was any of that true?" the girl with the bow asked.

"Not a word" he responded as he got up off the ground.

The blond girls eyes had turned red, and it looked almost like she was on fire. "Why would you tell a lie like that? Weiss was really hurt." she was furious. Noah just shrugged. She walked up to Noah and punched him hard in the face. He was sent flying. One thought crossed his mind before the darkness took him.

 _Worth it._

OoOoOoO

Reid walked aimlessly through the hallway. He was so gung ho a few minutes ago, but now he was nervous. He hadn't had a real conversation with another person in years, and he was sure that very few people would take kindly to the things he did talk about before his incarceration. The most he'd said to another person while he was inside was "What are you doing with that shank" and "Oh God I've been shanked". He was lost in his thoughts when he bumped into another student and fell to the floor.

"Sorry 'bout that. Wasn't paying attention to where I was going. You alright, buddy?" it was a girl's voice. She leaned forward and helped Reid to his feet. Reid brushed himself off and looked at her. She was slightly taller than him. She was lean, like an athlete, with spiky reddish brown hair. He looked up and saw that she had a pair of pointed ears on the top of her head, like a dog or wolf.

Reid walked right past her. As he went a single word escaped his lips just loud enough for her to hear.

"Beast"

oOoOoOoO

George sat near the school's entrance and looked at the students that walked by. He was disappointed by what he saw so far. Beacon was supposed to be for the best of the best, but he hadn't seen anyone that looked like they could give him a good fight. He decided to go with Plan B: start a brawl and see what happens. He reached into his bag and grabbed his weapons, but before he slipped them on he heard a group of students walk by carrying on a conversation.

"It's a great strategy. I don't see what your problem is."

"The part where I get shot in the back is a big problem."

"Oh come on, I've seen you take way harder hits than that and keep moving."

"I think we would be better served saving our ammunition for the enemy."

"Thank you, Ren. At least you can see reason"

"Maybe we should come up with a plan that involves less friendly fire."

George looked at them as they passed him. The blond one looked way too weak. George wondered how he even got into Beacon. The oriental looked like he could be a decent opponent. The orange haired girl was small, but he could tell she was stronger than she looked. His eyes went to the last member of the group, a tall girl with a red ponytail and green eyes. His heart skipped a beat. "No fucking way" George muttered to himself. "Alright, be cool. Be cool. Ah, fuck it".

He got up and walked toward the group of students. "Oh my god, are you Pyrrha Nikos?"

The red haired girl turned around at the sound of her name. "Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"George Garwood. I've been a fan of yours for a long time. I have recordings of all your fights. I have all your posters and trading cards too."

Pyrrha had a slight smile. "Really? I'm flattered."

George's eye seemed to shine. "This might sound a bit cliché, but watching your fights inspired me. Seeing you made me want to enter the pro circuit myself. It's why I came to Beacon"

Pyrrha was beaming. "It's great that you're following your dreams. I hope everything works out for you.

"If it's okay with you, you think we could-". George was interrupted by a deep rumbling noise. It sounded like something incredibly heavy had just fallen over. "The hell was that?" he asked.

"Probably just a couple students fighting, happens all the time" the orange haired girl replied.

"It was nice meeting you George. Hope to see you around." The blond boy smiled at George. He and the rest of his group walked away.

 _Maybe my time here won't be so boring after all_ George thought. Pyrrha Nikos herself. He couldn't wait for a chance to see what she was made of.

oOoOoOo

Reid sat in an office. His face was bloody and bruised. Next to him was the girl he met in the hallway, her face just as damaged as his. There was a tall blonde woman in the office as well. If Reid remembered right, she was the headmaster's assistant.

"What in the world were you two thinking? It's bad enough that you start fighting in the hallway surrounded by other students, but you also cause part of the ceiling to collapse. You both could have died, do you realize that?"

Reid spat out a glob of blood. "Takes more than that to kill me."

The girl looked at Reid. "How about we find out?"

Reid glared at the girl. "Anytime you want it."

"That is quite enough, both of you." The woman's voice was like a shard of glass through the heart. She bent a riding crop in her hands as she looked at the two students. "Maggie, I've told you before about fighting outside the designated areas. This is your last warning, am I clear?"

"Yes Ms. Goodwitch" the girl replied, her ears drooped as she looked down at the ground.

The woman turned toward Reid. "And you. Whatever your circumstances may be, that is no excuse to use a derogatory slur against another student. Whatever problems you have with the Faunus, I suggest you get over them unless you want your time at Beacon to be a short one. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am" said Reid. He looked over at Maggie. Maybe it was the way the bruises on her face brought out the blue in her eyes, but he thought she looked very pretty. "Do you travel by boat often?" he asked her.

Maggie's ears rose slightly. "Used to. How'd you guess?"

"You smell like seawater."

Her face went red, though it was hard to tell through the blood. "Are you saying I stink?"

 _Good job asshole_ Reid thought. "No, not at all. I was just wondering. Are you from Vacuo?"

"Nah, I'm from Menagerie. Used to sail around with my parents 'til we moved to Vale."

"What was it like there?"

"Crowded, but nice."

Reid was about to ask another question when he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He turned his head to a more comfortable angle. "You're pretty strong. That kick of yours almost took my head off."

Maggie tried to laugh, but groaned and grabbed her side. "You're no slouch yourself. How's a little twig like you pack such a punch?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Reid spoke again. "Look, I was out of line calling you that. I've got nothing against the Faunus, it's just… some of them."

Maggie's face was blank. "White Fang?" she asked. Reid nodded. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Of course. It always comes back to them. I can deal with a lot. The stares, the whispers. But the one thing I can't stand is people thinking I'm one of them. That just because I'm a Faunus I'm one of those murdering assholes or that I approve of what they do."

"Fuck 'em." Reid stated simply

"You got that right" Maggie said with a slight smile.

Glynda interrupted them. "Look at that, you two have something in common. Maybe this will be the start of a beautiful friendship." She stepped between the two students and put a hand on their heads. They began to faintly glow, and within seconds the injuries to their faces were healed. She smiled at the two of them. "Now please, get out of my office."

OoOoOoOoO

Oriana was sitting in her bed when the door opened and her other teammates walked in. Noah's face was swollen, Reid was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and George was smiling.

"So how was your little excursion?" she asked them.

"Great" the three of them said in unison.


	5. Knuck If You Buck

The Homicide Division of the Vale Police Department was an interesting place to work. Though Vale's crime rate was relatively low compared to other major cities, the crimes that did occur always made for quality entertainment. Detective Cotton was typing up a report on a case he had just closed. Two junkies had knocked over a food stand, killing a clerk in the process. When they escaped to their hideout one of them ended up going to town on his partner's skull with a hammer. When the police got there they said the place looked like someone took a shotgun to a bowl of salsa. He chuckled to himself as he put the finishing touches on his report. He heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw that it was his colleague, Detective Salt.

"Hey, Cotton. What's going on?"

"I'm finishing a report on that food stand killing. Anything going on with you?"

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about something. You remember that house fire a few weeks ago? I think it might have been a murder"

Three people died in that fire. The initial investigation led them to believe it was a simple accident. "What makes you say that?" Cotton asked.

"I went back to the scene and asked around. Neighbors said they heard gunshots a couple minutes before the fire started, and there were traces of Dust inside the house."

Hearing gunshots in Vale was nothing out of the ordinary, but that close to a deadly fire couldn't be a coincidence. Using the dust to destroy the bodies sounded like the work of a pro. He couldn't think of anyone in Vale who fit that description. "That sounds like a hit. Any ideas?"

"Nothing but small time players in Vale. Something like this seems out of their league."

"How is Junior by the way?" Cotton asked.

"I talked to him first. He's still sore about his club getting destroyed, but he wouldn't kill a whole family over that. Whatever he's got going is too sweet to bring down that kind of heat."

"White Fang?"

"Nah, the husband didn't have any priors, and the wife was actually a Faunus rights activist. She'd fly all over Remnant and hold up signs and march with people. I don't think the Fang would go after people that are on their side."

Cotton sighed. He didn't like where this logic train was leading. "So whoever did this must be an outsider. Since they didn't bother letting the kid go we can assume that they don't believe in the romanticism of crime the way others do. You go around to the dust shops?"

Salt looked annoyed at that question. "Of course I did. You think any of the shopkeepers could remember which one of the dozens of customers they had that day bought what kind of Dust? School just started, everyone's buying the stuff."

Cotton laid his head on his desk. "So you're saying we've got dick?"

"Afraid so."

Cotton groaned. A genuine fucking assassin was lurking in Vale, and they had no idea where to start looking. The only thing that made that idea worse was the possibility that whoever was behind the fire wasn't working alone.

oOoOoOoOoO

It was lunchtime at Beacon, and Team NGRO was in the middle of another pointless conversation.

"Dude, that's a myth" said Noah.

"Nah bro, it's true. I heard it from a friend of mine" said George.

"Since when do you have friends?" Reid joked.

"Fuck you"

Maggie walked up to their table. It was easy to find a seat, after a while other students began to avoid them to keep from getting caught up in their inane arguments. "Hey guys" she said as she sat down.

"Hi Maggie" Reid said with a smile.

"Shouldn't you be with your team?" asked Noah. Even though she was the leader of Team MRBL she was off doing her own thing most of the time.

She laughed at his question. "It's cool. We're only really together when we have to be."

"Hey, Maggie. Settle an argument for me. You ever heard of a bandit party?" George asked.

Maggie shook her head. "What's that?"

"A'ight, so let's say these bandits want to hit this one village. What they do is go to another village and kidnap everyone, rape and torture them for hours and stick them in cages and cart them back to the first one. But this time they bring a fuckload Grimm with them. People in the cages are drawing them in like bait. Grimm roll through and kill everyone in the village, bandits hang back 'til it's clear and clean house."

"That is messed up. Can't say I've ever heard of it though."

"Told you man, you're the only one who's heard of something like that. Where do you even learn about that kind of stuff?" Noah said.

George almost looked upset. "Fine, change of subject then. You look like you know how to throw down. Who would you say are the baddest fighters here?"

Maggie thought for a moment. "Among the first years? That'd be Yang Xiao Long and Pyrrha Nikos. No one else even comes close."

"Not even you?" Reid asked.

She shook her head. "I'm pretty good, but those two are monsters. I took a run at both of them. Yang hits like a truck, and the more you hit her the stronger she gets. Then there's Pyrrha. She's some kind of prodigy, kicks all kinds of ass without even trying. I swear I've never seen someone look so bored while they were fighting."

"I'm already gunning for Pyrrha, but I'd love to take a shot at Yang." George said.

Maggie pointed to a different table. "She's over there if you want to introduce yourself. Tall, blonde, huge tits. You can't miss her." George looked over and saw Yang chatting with a group of students. He got up and began to walk toward her. Noah pulled out his scroll and started recording.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked.

"Like I'm going to miss this" he responded.

George walked up behind Yang. It was amazing how a guy his size could sneak up on someone like that. He raised his hand, and slapped Yang full force on the butt. She jumped and turned around. There was an orange haze around her, like she was on fire. She punched George in the gut and he fell to the floor. She looked around and spotted Noah. The orange haze around her grew even bigger. She picked George up and threw him towards Noah. He crashed into the table, sending food and drink flying every which way.

"So how was she?" Reid asked.

"She can throw a hell of a punch, but her technique could use some work." George held up his hand. In his grip were three long, blond hairs.

Noah rose from his seat. "That's definitely going online. Let's go to our next class."

OoOoOoOoOoO

They sat in Professor Port's class. Today was one of the days where a student would volunteer to fight a Grimm. Port went through his usual spiel about how it was perfectly safe and that he would intervene if he felt a student was in danger. Then he called for a volunteer. Oriana raised her hand. The rest of her team looked at her.

"Can she fight?" Reid whispered to Noah.

"Pretty sure she can, but not without blowing her cover" Noah said.

"So what's she doing?"

"Fucking with us."

Oriana stood before the professor empty handed.

"Thank you for volunteering Ms. Blackstone, but do you have a weapon?" Port asked her.

"I have many weapons" she said as she smiled at him.

The professor shrugged and walked over to a cage. He opened it and a Beowulf emerged from within. It was a weaker Grimm, only dangerous in a group. Oriana gave the beast a short curtsy. "Let us have a good fight."

The monster lunged at her. She dodged its attack with ease. It turned and swiped at her with its claws. She jumped back just out of reach. It tried to bite at her but she jumped over it, landing at the far end of the room. It was getting angry. It roared and charged at her. Oriana put her hands behind her back and closed her eyes. A murmur went through the room, some students had grown worried. Port reached for his weapon. The beast's claw was inches away from Oriana's face when something flew through the air. Suddenly the Beowulf had a weapon sticking out of its neck. The creature fell to the ground and dissolved. Oriana walked up to it and grabbed it. It was Reid's shovel. He was standing in his seat, a look of incredible anger on his face. Oriana turned to the teacher. "A good hunter uses every tool at their disposal." She looked at Reid. "Well done, Reid. You get to eat dinner tonight."

Port coughed into his hand. "That was highly unorthodox Ms. Blackstone. Your faith in your teammates is a wonderful thing, but in the future you must learn to rely on your own strength."

"I will, professor" she said before returning to her seat. When she sat down she saw Reid and Noah glaring at her. George was doubled over with laughter.

"You have any idea what could have happened?" Noah asked her.

"Could have. Besides, what is wrong with wanting to amuse myself once in a while?" she laid her head down on the table and closed her eyes. "Wake me when it is time to go." She said before falling asleep.

Reid was about to say something before Noah put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't bother, once she's out she won't get up until she feels like it."

oOoOoOoO

Their last class of the day was sparring with Ms. Goodwitch. In addition to being good training, it was a great way to blow off steam. Training for four years to be a killing machine can cause a lot of stress to build up. The students sat in their seats as Ms. Goodwitch spoke to the class.

"Today we will have group sparring. In the field, being able to coordinate with your team and form new strategies on the fly could spell the difference between life and death. How you act, and how your teammates react to your actions are everything in a fight."

The fights were entertaining, although some students were clearly more skilled than others. Team CHRM had just triumphed over Team LILY when the teacher called for one last match.

"Now then, for our final match of the day: Team NGRO vs Team SLYM."

Team NGRO went to the stage. Their opponents were in their combat attire, but they themselves were still in their school uniforms. It didn't occur to any of them that they should change. The students in the stands roared with laughter at the sight before them. The only one to react to the crowd was Reid, his face growing redder with every second. George looked through the crowd and saw Pyrrha. He smiled and waved at her. Ms. Goodwitch called for order.

"Quiet" she said to the students. The laughter stopped instantly. She looked at the two teams and signaled the start of the fight.

As soon as the fight started everything fell apart. Oriana ran up to one member of Team SLYM and delivered a crushing blow to their chest. One strike was enough to tear through their Aura and render them unconscious. "I have done my part" was the only thing she said before she returned to her seat. After that, Noah fell onto his back and didn't move. Everyone was stunned, even his own teammates.

"Noah you lazy motherfucker. Get up and fight" George shouted at him.

"What's the point? These guys aren't shit" he said, sounding disappointed.

"I can see that, but what happened to keeping up appearances?"

"I'm not wasting my energy on these guys. They aren't worth the bullets"

The audience had started laughing again. The teacher had her head in her hands. Reid had turned bright red, and there were tears in the corners of his eyes. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. He could feel the eyes of the other students all over him, judging him for the company he kept.

"And now Reid's crying. See what you did?" George shouted at Noah. Noah ignored him. Before George could say anything else his upper body was engulfed in flames.

"Ya'll talk too fuk'n much, fo'real." It was a member of Team SLYM. He was holding a flamethrower in his hands. He pulled the trigger and another jet of fire shot towards George. When the flame subsided George stood there completely unharmed. The only damage was to his shirt. He ripped it off and a ripple of discomfort went through the audience. The student who burned him let out a low whistle. "Gah Damn. You a tough muhfucka" he said. He pressed a button on his weapon and it transformed into a large club.

Reid looked at George and his face went from red to green. George had a large scar on his front. It went diagonally from his shoulder down to his waist. Whatever gave him that scar should have killed him. That he's even alive after receiving that kind of injury is a miracle. George had a serious look on his face. He pulled his weapons from his pockets and slipped them on. Without saying a word he walked up to his opponent. His opponent attacked relentlessly, sending strike after strike in the blink of an eye. George seemed to ignore them. Every single blow hit their mark, but it was like George didn't even feel it. Eventually George closed the distance and punched the club wielder hard in the gut. He fell to the floor. George delivered another blow to his head, and his fight was over.

George turned to the teacher. "Is it alright if I go get a new shirt?" he asked her. The teacher nodded. As he was leaving Reid and Noah looked at his back. There were several tattoos. There was a heart divided into four pieces. In each piece was a letter, together they formed the same acronym that was engraved into his weapon. Beneath that was pair of hands, their palms stretched out and facing upwards, with a white wing on either side. Beneath the wings was some writing. _GSK. Nene World._ Neither of them had any idea what it meant. As George was leaving he was stopped by the orange haired girl he met before. She had a large smile on her face as she pointed at his chest.

"That's a cool scar. How'd you get it?" she asked him.

George shrugged. "I talked back" he said before leaving the room.

Reid ran at his chosen foe, a man holding a large sword. He swung it at Reid. Reid kept running, but as he got closer he got lower and lower. The blade barely avoided his head. Reid was almost parallel to the ground. He swung his shovel, knocking his opponent's legs out from under him. Reid capitalized on the opening and brought out his shotgun. He fired at his opponent while they were still on the ground. A blast at close range was highly damaging to their aura. After four the buzzer sounded signaling their defeat. Reid looked at Noah who was still on the ground. "Any time you wanna start pulling your weight" he said.

Noah looked angry. He shouted at the last opponent. "You can come at me if you want, I'm not moving." The last member of Team SLYM was enraged by that statement. He ran towards Noah and jumped high into the air. As he came down he pointed his spear at Noah. Noah rolled out of the way. The spearman took a step forward and a there was a loud click. The room froze. Ms. Goodwitch gasped in horror. The student looked down and saw that his foot was on a white disk like object.

Noah finally got off the floor. "Oh shit son. That thing you're standing on is an Atlesian land mine. Now, if you don't know how land mines work I'll happily tell you. Basically if your foot moves an ass hair off of that trigger your entire bottom half is gone. Luckily for me, that makes my job much easier." He drew his guns and aimed them at his opponent.

"Wait, I sur-"was as far as he got before Noah opened fire. He emptied the magazines, his opponent unable to do anything but take the bullets. His aura was critically low. Noah walked up to him and hit him on the head with his gun. His opponent fell backwards, but he didn't explode. Noah walked up and grabbed the mine, waving it back and forth in his hand. "It's a fake, bro" he said with a grin.

Ms. Goodwitch cleared her throat. "The winners are Team NGRO." The silence in the theatre was deafening.

OoOoOoO

That night Noah and the rest of his team were in their room when they got word of another job. It was another address, with a list of people who would be there when they arrived.

"I'll handle this" Reid volunteered.

"You sure you've got this?" Noah asked.

Reid loaded his weapon. "I'll be fine. If it needs to get done it'll get done." He and Oriana left together.


	6. Four Minutes of Hell

As the two of them traveled to their next job Reid decided to ask Oriana a question.

"What did they do?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. What'd they do that they need to get got?"

"Oh they are bad people. They kidnap little kids and sell them to perverts so they can do all sorts of depraved things to them. Then when the kids are all used up they are killed and harvested for their organs. Is that what you want to hear? Would that make what you are doing any better?" she started laughing. Reid decided not to press the issue. She was right, at the end of the day murder is murder. In any case he was the last person who should be questioning how right something is.

In time they had arrived at the specified location. It was an office building. There were lights on, and Reid could hear people talking. He could sense that there were a couple strong fighters inside. This would be much more difficult than the last time.

Oriana looked into her hand. "You have 15 minutes to get this done. What is your plan?"

Reid motioned to go to the back of the building. Next to the rear entrance was a small transformer box. It supplied power to the building.

"I've got an idea. When I give you the signal you blow the box and run like hell" Reid said.

She tilted her head slightly. "Run? Why should I run?"

Reid readied his weapon. "Because when this goes down I don't want you anywhere near me. As much as I would enjoy it I don't want to kill you by mistake." Oriana tried not to laugh.

Reid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had fifteen minutes. He would only need four or five if he used his semblance, but using it required him to be in a certain state of mind. He thought about his past and everything that led up to this moment.

He's ten years old. A policeman has just told him that his parents were killed.

He's eleven years old. Two men hold him down while a third goes to work with a knife. He passes out from the pain. When he wakes up he notices that his hair has turned white.

He's twelve years old. An old man hands him a grenade and tells him to "do God's work"

He's fourteen years old. He's just been stabbed. Part of him hopes that it's fatal.

He's seventeen years old and he's about to kill six people.

His Aura swelled around him, sending waves of blue energy everywhere. Even if the people inside felt it they wouldn't be able to stop what was about to happen. His grip around his weapon tightened until his knuckles were white. He opened his eyes, their normal brown replaced with a solid black. Oriana figured that was as good a signal as any. She destroyed the transformer with a kick and the power went out. She could hear murmurs from inside the building. Reid shot through the door like a rocket without even bothering to open it.

 _That was a steel door and he ran right through it_. Oriana decided that it would be best to wait outside.

OoOoOoOoO

"This overnight shit is for the birds"

"You're getting paid aren't you? Quit complaining"

Security work was a good job for people who were good fighters but not exactly hunter material. The six of them stood in the lobby chatting about nothing when the lights went out. The dim yellow emergency lights were now the only source of light in the entire building.

One of the guards went on the alert. "Power's out. that means the security system is down too."

They knew something was coming. Each one prepared for a fight. There was a loud crashing noise from somewhere in the building. There were footsteps, rapid and getting closer.

Someone ran into the lobby. He looked like a teenager, lanky and skinny. He was holding what looked like a shovel. He was breathing raggedly, and steam was coming from his mouth.

One guard raised his gun. "You have five seconds to leave the area before we use lethal force."

The boy didn't seem to hear him. He pointed his shovel at one of the guards and suddenly there was a sound like a shotgun blast. The guard fell to the ground, his black shirt burnt and stained with red.

Another guard drew his sword and attacked the boy. He parried with his shovel and swung back. The guard reeled backwards and grabbed at his stomach before falling over.

Another guard opened fire. The boy ran towards the fire, the bullets barely missing him. As he ran he went lower to the ground, his nose scraping against the floor when he closed the distance. He swung at the guard's legs and sent him to the floor. He stood over the guard and stabbed his shovel into the man's chest.

The three remaining guards surrounded him. The boy went toward one and another landed a powerful blow, sending him flying into a wall. The boy instantly rebounded. He kicked off the wall and went flying toward the guard that hit him. He swung at the guard's neck with the shovel. The guard stumbled forward, blood spurting from his neck, before falling to the ground.

One of the last remaining guards looked around at his dead coworkers. He threw his weapon to the ground. "Fuck this. Whatever they've got here isn't worth getting killed over." He went for the door. Suddenly there was a sword protruding from his chest. It belonged to the other guard.

He pulled the sword out and looked at the boy. "While I don't exactly disagree with him, I hate cowards who run when things go south. Wait, why am I even talking to you? It's not like you can understand me."

Their fight lasted less than a minute. Almost one hundred strikes were sent, growing faster with each exchange. The boy's speed was one thing, but his strength was far greater than his rail thin body would suggest. The cracks in the floor were a testament to their abilities. The man swung at the boy. In one motion the boy bent backwards causing the blade to miss by a hair, and pointed the barrel of the gun at the man's face. The heavy slug sent him to the floor, and the boy leapt onto him and struck him on the head, again and again and again and again and again and again…

OoOoOoO

Reid stood alone in the lobby. There was something he liked about the first few seconds after his semblance ran out. The stillness, the quiet. It was calming in a way.

Then everything hit him at once.

His entire body ached. He almost broke his shoulder charging through the door. The spot where he was hit throbbed. His ears were ringing. And then there was the smell. Oh god, the smell. The smell of spilled entrails, burned flesh, and gunpowder assaulted his nose. He fell to his knees and vomited, tears streaming down his face.

"Fuck. Oh god." he said as he started sobbing. He grabbed his shotgun and placed the barrel in his mouth. His finger was on the trigger twitching. Just a little more. A little more and it would be over.

"Do that on your own time." Reid turned around and saw Oriana looking at him. Her tone was like she was scolding a child she caught misbehaving. He dropped his gun and wiped his eyes. He hated that about his semblance. It didn't make him stronger, or faster, or more durable. He just stops thinking, becoming a beast that operates solely on instinct. While it was useful in the heat of battle, when it ran out and his brain turned back on he was overwhelmed with various thoughts and feelings he thought were long buried.

She looked around and let out a low whistle. "You are quite something. Although I must admit your reaction was not at all what I was expecting Mr. Hate Crime."

A hand of ice grabbed Reid's heart. "You know about that?"

"Of course I do. What you did almost started a war. You do not have to worry, I have no intention of telling anyone else." She grabbed a dead man's shirt and tore off a bit.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked.

"Putting on the finishing touches. You go on ahead, I will not be long." As Reid was leaving she said something else to him. "If it makes you feel any better the rest of them are dead. After you were arrested some of my associates went through and wiped them out. As far as I know you are the only one left."

Reid didn't know how he felt about that. In a messed up way they were like his family. They took him in, taught him how to fight, and gave him a new purpose in life. On the other hand they were responsible for the turn his life took, and the garbage they filled his head with took him years to get out. "It kind of does" he said to her. He left the warehouse and went back to the dorm.

Oriana dabbed some blood on the torn shirt and started drawing on the wall. If she did this right, she would mislead whoever caught this case and piss Reid off at the same time. A win-win. Once she was done she stepped back and took a second to admire her handiwork. She left and caught up with Reid, smiling as she thought of all the work she would be doing in the future.

OoOoOoOoO

It was early in the morning when the call came in. A guy who worked at an office downtown had come in and found six dead bodies. He said it was like a hurricane tore through the lobby. Detectives Cotton and Salt arrived at the scene and saw two patrol cops securing the area. Cotton walked in and surveyed the scene. He'd been a homicide detective for ten years, but he'd never seen anything like this before. This was the kind of horror show one would expect from those savages in Mistral. He pulled out a recorder and spoke into it. "Victim number one: adult male. Cause of death is GSW close range. Victim number two: adult male. Cause of death appears to be disembowelment. Victim number three: adult female. Cause of death is blood loss from severing of legs combined with stab wound. Victim number four: adult male. Cause of death is stab wound to the chest. Victim number five: adult male. Cause of death is decapitation. Victim number six: adult male. Cause of death is severe head trauma." He turned the recorder off. "Severe head trauma my ass, someone caved his fucking skull in." he saw the pool of vomit on the floor and grew angry. "Hey, which one of you assholes puked in my crime scene?" he shouted at the two officers outside.

They looked at each other in confusion. "It wasn't us detective. Worker says that was there when he got here" one of the cops replied.

That was surprising. He turned to his colleague. His attention was captured by something on the wall. It was the symbol of the White Fang painted in blood. It was kind of impressive.

"So here's my theory; White Fang slaughter crew rolls through. They bring a young pup with them, figure it's time for him to get his dick wet. Knock out the power first, then they blow the back door. Must have used some kind of bomb the way the door looked. They do their thing, and the young'n doesn't have the stomach for it. They leave their mark and get out long before anyone else comes through." Cotton spoke to no one in particular. He saw Salt laying down with his ear to the floor. "Any info from that end?" he asked him.

Salt got up off the ground and began writing on a notepad. "There was definitely more than one person here, but something's weird. All it'll say is that one of them felt 'wrong'. Won't go into any more detail than that."

When Salt first joined Homicide the other detectives laughed when they saw him using his ability. They stopped laughing when it gave him the highest clearance rating in the department. 「Ｔａｌｋｉｎ ２ Ｕ」was the name of his Semblance. It allowed him to communicate with crime scenes. It had its limitations, he was unable to use it after that house fire because the house was completely destroyed. The feelings of the scene itself also factored into its effectiveness. This one in particular was terrified. What happened last night left it traumatized, not that anyone could blame it.

"Multiple suspects with White Fang affiliation. At least four, given the variety of injuries on display." Salt said as he wrote it down. "There's been an increase in WF activity in Vale, but nothing like this."

Cotton pulled out a cigarette. "Yeah well it wasn't that long ago where they just held up signs. This is just a test run. They're planning something big, I just know it."

OoOoOoO

There was a vein pulsing in Reid's neck as he read the news. The headline read _White Fang suspected in Vale multiple homicide._ Maybe his hatred for the Fang was overriding his common sense. Noah didn't understand it, most people would be happy that they managed to avoid getting six murders pinned on them. He turned to George, who was telling a student about how he lost his eye.

"So one day I'm walking down the street just doing my thing, and this dude steps on my shoes. I thought about letting it slide but I can't let a man disrespect me like that you know? One day he's stepping on your shoes the next he's trying to fuck you up the ass, you feel me? So I step to him and I'm like "yo what the fuck?" This bitch-ass motherfucker pulls out this big knife and just cuts me. I'm on the ground bleeding and my eye is in pieces and this dude comes at me again. So I get back up and I beat his ass down. When it's all over my eye is straight up gone, so I go get myself patched up and get this glass one put in."

The student was in awe. "That is so cool. You're really tough."

"I'm nothing special, really."

Noah tried not to laugh. That was the fourth version of that story he'd heard George tell. None of the members of Team NGRO asked about each other's pasts. Mostly out of professional courtesy, and mostly because none of them really cared. It was kind of interesting to see how George reacted to the questions people asked him. If someone asked him about his eye, he'll respond with an elaborate story that almost certainly wasn't true. On the other hand, if he was asked about the scar on his upper body he would give a short answer that didn't really explain anything. Try asking him about his tattoos and he'll avoid the question until the subject is changed. Questions about where he grew up or what he did before coming to Beacon would be met with complete silence. And then there was the big one: Nene. Whoever that person was they must have been very important to George. Even mentioning that name caused him to fly into a rage. Noah has had to break up fights between George and students who stepped on that landmine more than a few times. Eventually people got the message that that topic was off limits.

Reid put his scroll away. "Next class is Peach's right?" he asked Noah.

"My favorite part of the day, ninety minutes of you staring at her tits and her pretending not to notice" Noah replied. It was mostly a joke.

"They are nice looking aren't they?" Reid said before leaving the table.

OoOoOoOoO

In class Professor Peach put on an old video of an industrial accident at an SDC mine. Improper maintenance combined with substandard working conditions caused one of the worst mining accidents in history. A shaft full of red ignited and the entire mine went up. Three hundred employees died, and the SDC was forced to pay billions of lien in damages. That they were able to stay in business after that was a testament to how large and powerful the company had grown. As they were watching the video of the fire Noah noticed that Reid's stare wasn't fixed on the professor like it normally was. He was staring at the video completely stone-faced. There was sweat on his forehead, and he was gripping his pencil so hard it started to crack.

Noah looked worried. "You okay bro?"

Reid opened his mouth to say something, but instead rose from his seat and ran to the garbage can and vomited. The other students looked at him with varying levels of concern and amusement.

The professor was one of the concerned ones. "Is everything okay Mr. Wenland?"

Reid looked at her. "It's cool, I'm just" his gaze went back to the screen and he vomited again. "I must be coming down with something. Can I be excused?" Reid didn't wait for an answer before leaving the classroom.

"Fuck was that about?" George whispered to Noah.

"No idea."

OoOoOoO

Reid went to the training field. He needed to clear his head and figured some reps with the shovel was a good way to do it. He swung it around, growing faster as he went on. Eventually he was drawing circles with his weapon. It wasn't enough, he needed to be faster. _What smells like roses?_

"That's a cool weapon." A girl's voice interrupted his training. Reid looked at the girl. She had red and black hair and these beautiful silver eyes. She looked kind of young. The scythe she had in her hand was bigger than she was.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Reid asked her.

"Shouldn't you?"

"Point taken. Why are you here?"

"Class was boring. You?"

"Got some stuff on my mind."

"Well if you're up for it, wanna have a quick spar?"

"Sure"

Quick was the right word. Once she got going it was near impossible to land a hit on her. The flipside is that her weapon was clearly not made for single opponents, or humans for that matter. They were locked in a stalemate. He couldn't hit her, but she couldn't beat him. After a while they were both exhausted and the fight ended in a draw.

The girl wiped sweat from her forehead. "You're pretty good."

Reid was breathing heavily. "You too. Where'd you get a weapon like that?"

Her eyes lit up. "I built it."

"You built that yourself?"

She puffed up with pride. "Yeah. It took a long time to put together but it was worth it. Did you make yours?"

"Nah, I bought it." The look she gave him he may as well have said that he likes to punt kittens in his spare time.

She changed the subject. "What's its name?" Reid looked confused. "My teacher at Signal said that you give a weapon a name that tells people who you are and what you're about. It's like offering people a glimpse into your mind. My weapon is called Crescent Rose. Like an actual rose, it's both beautiful and dangerous. And it's a scythe so that's where the 'crescent' part comes in."

Reid decided against voicing how he felt about that. He didn't say anything for a while. Something about naming weapons appealed to him. He thought about what he was here for, and what he would be doing in the future. Eventually he came up with a name, a name that would tell everyone who he was and what his plans were.

"Fang Breaker. That's its name."

She smiled at him. "Cool. I should get going, hope to see you around."

OoOoOoO

Reid didn't show up for any of his other classes. Noah wondered if he should talk to Reid later. Oobleck was in the middle of a story about a group of hunters who were trapped in a horde of Grimm with no backup when the bell rang signaling the end of class. As they were leaving he called out to one of the students.

"Mr. Garwood, I need to speak with you before you go."

George looked at Noah and shrugged before walking up to the teacher. "What's the problem sir?"

"The problem is the work you're handing in." he handed George his last test. It was a failing grade just like the other two he had taken. "If you continue handing in such subpar work your presence at this school may be called into question."

George sighed. "Man, this is supposed to be a combat school right? You ask me where you hit a man if you wanna drop him quick I'll tell you. You ask me how to break a dude's leg, I can show you. But asking me about some battle in some country a hundred years ago? What's the point?"

Oobleck took a sip of his coffee. "Knowing how to fight isn't the only kind of knowledge. In any case, you need to show improvement in this class if you wish to graduate on time."

George rubbed the back of his head. "Never been one for the book learning."

"If you are having trouble understanding the work there are many students who would be more than happy to help you. All you need to do is ask someone."

George shook his head. "Not in me to take a handout from someone else. Don't worry though, I'll get my grades up." He turned around and left.

George usually had someone else do the thinking for him. It was harder than they made it look.


	7. My Life

George had this dream before. He's around five years old on his way to the local market. He sees a girl about his age heading in the same direction. She has no idea she's about to die. Where he grew up it was a common thing. She was hit by a stray bullet. Two men were arguing, one of them pulled a gun but couldn't hit a man three feet in front of him. It wasn't like in the movies he had watched. She didn't get sent flying, she just kind of fell over and this pink stuff came out of her head. There was a woman screaming, probably the girl's mother. She runs up to her body and loses it. She's crying and shaking and she's calling the girl's name over and over. This memory stuck with George. It was the first time he saw someone die, but it wouldn't be the last.

The scene changes. He's seven years old standing over a dead body. He's breathing heavily and blood is dripping from his hands. He had punched at the man's skull until he felt it give. He didn't know this man at all, he just knew that he had to go. Someone claps George on the back and tells him "good job, kid." That was the first time he had ever killed someone. It wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be.

The scene changes again. He's twelve, talking with his friends. He has some reservations about what they want him to do.

"George, you heard what the man said. You can go far in the pros. You have an actual opportunity here, I think you should take it." Nene always liked using big words. Even though she was only two years older than him she was way smarter than he was. If she said something was a good idea it probably was.

"She right, man. I seen you do some wild shit wit' your hands." Lem rubbed his shoulder as he spoke. He knew firsthand how good George was in a fight.

Lil Mo took a sip from the cup he always carried with him. "I don't get why you wanna stay so bad. Ain't like its shit round here worth staying for."

Butta looked at Mo. "Man you need to stop sippin' that shit fo' yo ass end up in another coma."

Mo took another drink. "Like takin a nap my man. You should try it, loosen you up." Butta refused. The stuff Mo drank was potent enough to kill a grown man. The one time George tried it he was out for three days.

Nene tried again to reason with George. "I agree with Mo. There's nothing here worth staying for, just the dead and the dying."

George knew that, but he couldn't leave them alone. "What about you guys? What about Cheddar?"

Lem scoffed. "What about him? You think we can't put in work without you? Arrogant motherfucker."

"It ain't like that. You know how he is with dudes that fuck up on him."

Nene sighed. She didn't want to pull this card, but George wasn't leaving her a choice. "We'll be fine. We're a lot stronger than we were before. Besides, I didn't save your life just so you could waste it here."

George looked like he'd just been slapped. "I know. You don't gotta remind me."

Butta looked at Nene. "One day you need to tell us how you did that."

"He was hurt, I helped him out." Nene replied casually.

Lem interjected. "Boy was cut near in half. How the fuck you help that?"

George's hand went to the scar on his chest. He didn't know how Nene had saved him, but he didn't really care. All he knew was that he could spend the rest of his life trying and never repay what he owed her. If taking this chance was a step towards the two them being even, then he didn't really have a choice. "Fine. I'll do it."

Nene smiled at him. "Good. I'll make the call."

Mo started grinning. "Who knows, maybe you'll run into that girl you been fiendin for. What was her name? Patty?"

Butta corrected him. "Pyrrha. He'd be up all night watching her videos. Thought he was just beatin his meat but nah, he's got it bad." He started laughing.

George glared at him. "Don't think I won't slap the shit outta you before I go"

Nene hugged George. "Don't tease him you guys. This may be our last chance to talk to him before he becomes a big shot and forgets where he came from."

Mo emptied his cup. "Fuck where he came from. George, when you up on that stage I want you to tell those people who was with you from day one."

George smiled. "Greystone Killers, for life."

George watched the final scene play out. He'd had this dream almost every night for years. His memories of his youth were a haze, nothing but constant scenes of violence that all ran together. Despite his willingness to forget what he'd gone through he would never forget the last time he would ever speak to his friends.

OoOoOoOoO

Port's class was interesting. It started normal, with them discussing different types of Grimm and the best tactics to use against them. It took a turn when George showed up to class half an hour before it ended. He looked like hell. His eye was red and puffy like he'd been crying. His uniform was disheveled, and his hands had blood on them.

Port looked at George with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you for finally joining us Mr. Garwood. How are you this fine day?"

George wiped his hands on his pants. "I'm good. Sorry I'm late, alarm didn't go off." He took a seat next to his teammates.

Reid whispered to him. "What happened? How were you late if you were gone when we woke up?"

"I was doing things, lost track of time."

"Doing what?"

George looked at Reid. His face said the conversation was over.

Port resumed his lesson. "In addition to the Grimm we see all over, there are some that are unique to certain regions. For example, there are the aquatic species found in the waters near Menagerie, or the Beringel that are native to the Anima continent. Now then, there's enough time left in class for a practical lesson. Do I have any volunteers?"

George raised his hand. A murmur went through the class. He took off his shirt and left it on his chair.

"Are you sure?" Port asked. George nodded and walked to the front of the class.

George didn't wear his weapons. The bulge in his pocket showed that he had them on his person, but for some reason he didn't put them on. Port sighed and opened the cage. Out came a Boarbatusk, an older one judging from the size of its tusks. George put his hands together like he was praying. A green haze surrounded him. The monster ran at him. George caught the beast by the tusks and threw it to the side. The beast charged a second time. He caught it again, this time lifting it over his head and tossing it to the far side of the room. It roared and curled into a ball. It was charging up its deathblow. George took a deep breath and prepared to catch it again. The Grimm unleashed its attack, a black ball flew at George with incredible speed. George put his arms down and stood straight up. The attack landed with full force. It was like a bomb went off. George was sent flying into a wall sending a cloud of dust everywhere. The room was deathly silent. When the smoke cleared George stood there completely unharmed. The Grimm that attacked him was on the ground in pieces. The legs twitched and its eyes blinked a few times before it faded. George brushed some dust off of himself. He looked at the hole he left in the wall and couldn't help but feel a little proud. He looked at Professor Port. He was saying something, probably yelling at him by how red his face was. He must be really angry. George couldn't hear a thing. He touched an ear and felt blood. He wondered what he should do when he remembered what Nene had told him about Aura. He focused and was surrounded by green energy again. He felt his eardrums repair themselves and he could hear again.

"Ever do anything like that again I will have you expelled do you understand?!" Port shouted.

"Loud and clear sir" George said. He went back to his seat.

"What was that about?" Noah asked him.

"Wanted to test something" George said, sounding pleased.

"So what'd you learn?"

"That I am a lot harder to kill than I thought."

The bell rang and class ended. As they walked through the hallway they heard the shout of another student.

"What happened to my locker?" the student fell to the ground in disbelief. They walked up and looked at it. It was covered in dents, there were bloodstains on it, and there were imprints of a fist all over it.

Noah whistled. "I fired one of these into the side of a mountain and it didn't get a scratch. Whatever did this must be some kind of beast." he shrugged. "Oh well, talk to Ms. Goodwitch and see if she'll get you a new one." They left him to it and went to their next class.

OoOoOoOoO

In Oobleck's class the topic of the day was the Faunus Rights Movement. Since it was impossible to talk about that without bringing up the White Fang that discussion ended up dominating the class. The students had very different opinions on that group. The conversation quickly turned heated. Oobleck tried his best to maintain order, but to no avail.

"I think we should line them up and shoot every single one of them through the head"

"That kind of hate is exactly what caused the White Fang to exist in the first place"

"Oh I'm sorry. I forgot not wanting to be killed by terrorists makes me just as bad as they are"

"Stop calling them terrorists. They're a peaceful organization. They've just been lead down the wrong path."

"That's a load of bull and you know it. No offence Jerry"

"None taken"

Maggie spoke up. "Look, whatever the White Fang were before is gone now. Look at what they've been doing; the attacks on the SDC, the train jackings, bombing businesses, that killing right here in Vale, and that's just from this year. They may have started with good intentions, but they're just another gang of criminals now."

Another student spoke up. A girl with brown hair and rabbit ears. "I agree with Maggie. I was okay with them when they were protesting and holding boycotts, but now they're nothing more than a bunch of killers who think they serve some kind of higher cause."

"Long time coming if you ask me. How much shit are we expected to eat before we say enough? Holding signs and marching just got us ignored. Now that people are dying you bet your ass they hear us." The student didn't have any obvious Faunus traits aside from his eyes. The brown sclera and rectangular pupils were the only indicator that he wasn't human.

Maggie wasn't one to miss that. "That's easy for you to say Laban. When shit goes bad you can put on some sunglasses and blend back in with the humans. I don't have that kind of luxury. I've got enough problems to deal with without everyone thinking I'm some kind of ticking time bomb." She tugged on her ears for emphasis.

"Laban, isn't your mom a human?" the rabbit girl asked. He turned red and looked away from her.

Reid decided to inject himself into the conversation. "If you ask me, that's of course if you're asking, I think they need to be wiped out. Them and anyone who sides with them. I for one would be happy to send as many to their graves as I can."

The rabbit girl looked at Reid with pity. "I think it's sad that you're so consumed by hate. It's like an endless cycle."

Reid shook his head. "Hate's got nothing to do it. The Fang didn't kill my parents because they hated them. It's not like they were the only ones who got killed that day. It's like the Grimm. Do we kill the Grimm because we hate them? No, we kill them because at the end of the day it's them or us. Same deal with the Fang. They know that the only way for their people to live in peace is for the humans to taken out of the picture, and I won't be able to relax until every single White Fang is in the ground."

The room was quiet for a bit. Everyone was looking at Reid.

"What?" Reid said.

"They killed your parents?" Maggie said, looking distraught.

Reid wanted to slap himself. Most people wouldn't mention something like that so casually. "Yeah, it was a long time ago. I was just a kid when it happened."

"Damn. That's rough, bro" George said. It was the first thing he'd said this class.

The rabbit eared girl looked at George. "How could you not know that? He's your teammate."

"He didn't tell and I didn't ask. Getting this back on topic, I personally don't care one way or the other about the White Fang. To tell you the truth I never saw the point in all that peaceful protest stuff. Ain't shit out there for free, you want something you gotta take it. I can't fault the demi-humans for fighting for what they want."

Half of the class was glaring at George. Reid had buried his head in his hands, his face red like a lantern. Oriana was trying to hold back laughter and failing miserably.

Noah sighed. "Dude, you're not supposed to call them demi-humans"

"Why not?"

"It's a slur"

"Since when?"

"Since forever you moron"

"Nah man. Beast, fleabag, pet, livestock, those are slurs. Demi-human is like one of those clinical terms."

Noah sat there in disbelief. "First of all, what the fuck? Second, since when do you use words like 'clinical'?

Their back and forth was interrupted by a wave of naked hostility washing over them. It was like they were being crushed under an incredible weight. They looked around and saw that it was Professor Oobleck. He was angry, maybe. It was hard to tell through his glasses.

"Mr. Garwood, I need to speak with you after class."

OoOoOoOoO

"Janitor duties? What kinda shit is that?" George said indignantly. He had just returned from cleaning every room on the first floor of the school.

"I'm surprised he didn't give you more. Oobleck was seriously pissed" Reid said.

"Well maybe when someone tells you not to use a racial slur do not use four more. You know, as a precaution" Oriana said.

"Maybe next time one of you should stop me before I go off like that. I thought we were a team." George said.

Four scrolls beeped at once. A new message came in with an address and a list of names.

Noah almost choked. "Ten? Fuck me, this might take all four of us."

George rose from his bed and stretched. "Nah, I can do this myself."

Reid raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure? Some of these guys look really tough."

"Yeah. I haven't had the chance to put in work, so I figure this is my time to shine. I won't even need my weapons for this."


	8. Wipe Me Down

The location was an abandoned building. The door and windows were boarded up. There was a notice for demolition next to the door.

George could feel people inside. Most of them seemed like they could give him a good fight.

George turned to Oriana. "You sure you don't want some of this?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I am here merely to observe. I hope your hubris does not prove your undoing."

"You don't have to worry about me." He cracked his knuckles and went to the door. A single punch reduced it to splinters. He walked in and went to work.

OoOoOoO

"Who the fuck is Roman Torchwick?"

"He's supposed to be a real stonehead. I hear he pretty much runs Vale."

"I thought Hei ran Vale."

"Junior's happy with what he's got now. Torchwick has a more expansionist mindset. It's why he called us. Whatever he's got planned is gonna be big."

"Well whatever it is he needs to hurry the fuck up. I'm bored out my mind, and if we stay too long the cops might find us"

"Vale cops don't know their ass from a hole in the ground."

"If we do hit the town again we need to find another girl, this one broke"

"Roman did say there was this girl gave him shit one time, maybe we could get two things done at once"

They had been in Vale for two weeks enjoying the local color. Between them they had warrants for robbery, murder, rape, and trafficking of the drug and human kind. If anyone knew they were in Vale it would cause a panic. The police were none the wiser about their activities in the city, so the last thing any of them expected was for the door to their hideout to suddenly explode. Someone walked inside. It was a large man with one eye and no shirt. He put his hands together and took a deep breath.

"Aight, let's get it" he said.

One of the men ran up and threw a punch at the intruder. His fist collided with the man's face and shattered. He felt his entire arm break and fell to the ground in agony.

"Shit, forgot my music" the intruder said, completely unfazed. He pulled a scroll out of his pocked and fiddled with it. Suddenly a song was blaring through the building. the bass thrummed four times before the beat dropped and the lyrics kicked in.

 _Get on my level, ho_

 _Get on my level, ho_

 _Get on my level, ho_

 _Get on my level, ho_

He looked at the man on the ground. He raised his foot and drove his heel into the downed man's neck.

Three men attacked at once. One threw a hard punch. It was deflected, and the opponent countered with an elbow that left a crater in his chest. He then sent his fist across another man's chin, sending his jaw flying. The third attacker found a finger in his eye. He tried to back away, but the man grabbed his head with both hands and drove a knee into his face.

He moved on to the rest of them. They tried their best, but nothing worked. Their weapons broke against him, bullets shattered against his skin, using their own bodies only got them killed faster. The entire time that distant, almost bored look never left the man's face. There was nothing there. No passion, no anger, he didn't even seem to enjoy it. He was like a machine, only doing what he was built to do.

OoOoOoO

George stood in a room full of dead bodies. This didn't take nearly as long as he thought it would. There was one target left, but he had no hope of fighting back with two broken legs.

George paused his music and knelt next to him. "Look man, between me and you, I expected more. I heard you guys were some real head busters, but I am very disappointed by what I saw tonight."

The man tried to bargain. "Whatever they paid you, I can double it. Get me to a hospital, please. I swear to god I won't say a fucking word to anyone."

George frowned at the man. "And now you're begging. That's some weak-ass shit. I'll make it quick, don't worry."

George raised his arm. His hand was straight like a spear. The man started to beg again when George thrust it into the man's heart. After a few seconds it stopped beating. George concentrated and a burst of aura caused the blood that he was covered with to fly away from him.

He went through the dead men's pockets. He found a decent amount of money and a scroll. He didn't find any useful information on the scroll, so he broke it. He looked around for anything that might be useful, but all he found was another body.

It was a woman. She was naked, with bruises all over her body. They were on her face, around her neck and wrists, and on her stomach. Her eyes were open, but they weren't looking at anything. She was probably taken off the streets and used as a plaything by the men. Growing up George learned that this was what happened to people too weak to defend themselves. They get used up and thrown away by people stronger than they are.

Despite his own views George felt a sort of kinship with the dead girl. He thought of how easily he could have ended up in her position if he didn't have anyone around him to make him strong enough to stand on his own. No, even now he was no different than her. The people who sent him on this mission didn't see him as a person. To them he was a thing, a tool to be used when needed and discarded when no longer useful. He closed the girl's eyes and left this mess behind him.

He walked out the house and saw Oriana. "Man, I'm hungry. Anything open this time of night?"

She didn't say anything. She was… afraid? That was impossible. Yet no matter how she tried she couldn't shake the feeling that a grave mistake was made setting this man free. The men in that house weren't your run of the mill cannon fodder, they were powerful. She wasn't sure if Noah or Reid would have the same success against them, but George beat all of them without even trying. His inhuman strength combined with his skill made him formidable, but his semblance made him practically invincible. A thought crossed her mind, something she didn't want to think about. If she were ordered to kill George, would she even be able to?

George walked on without her. He thought of how Nene would feel about the path he'd gone down. He sighed to himself. He'd already disappointed her once, and now he's doing it again. His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of three men standing in the road. This time of night they were clearly up to no good.

"Why don't you leave that girl with us" one of him said. The lecherous smile on his face betrayed his intentions.

George looked to his side and saw Oriana standing there. He looked back at the men and shrugged. "You want her, you can have her."

"What" said one of the men.

"What" said Oriana.

George looked at her. "I'm done for the night. You don't want to get taken to pound town, you handle this yourself."

"I will make you pay for this" she said as she prepared to fight.

As George walked on he could hear the sound of blows landing and bones breaking behind him. He started laughing. She would be mad at him later, but for now it was worth it.

OoOoOoO

He walked into his room. Noah's bed was empty, he was probably sleeping in the library like he did often. Reid was in his bed whimpering in his sleep again. It was like this every night; he would cry and shake and sometimes even talk in his sleep. George walked up to him and stroked his head a few times. That always helped, though he didn't understand why. Soon Reid was quiet, and slept peacefully. George often wondered what happened to Reid to make him like that, and who he was apologizing to every night. He got into bed and drifted off. Whatever questions he had would have to come later.

OoOoOoOoO

"The fuck happened to you" were the first words Noah said to George when he saw him. There was an imprint of a hand on the side of George's face. If you looked close enough you could see fingerprints.

George thought for a second. He knew Oriana would be angry after what he did, but he didn't expect her to hit so hard. Three slaps and his aura was completely depleted. The additional two were to make sure he felt it. You leave a girl to a pack of rapists one time and suddenly you're the bad guy.

"Slipped and fell" he said.

Noah went back to his book. Why anyone would spend their Saturday in a library George had no idea. Then again, he had no idea why he came here either. As he was about to leave Reid walked up and sat at the table. He looked troubled.

"Something on your mind?" Noah asked.

Reid looked around him before he started talking. "I need some advice."

"About what?"

"It's Maggie. Ever since I told her about my parents she's been acting weird. Always trying to talk to me, always showing up wherever I am, sometimes she even brings me food. I think she might be on to me."

Noah and George looked at each other and started laughing.

"This is serious" Reid said.

Noah wiped tears from his eyes. "I think she likes you man."

Reid looked confused. "Really? I don't see it."

George shook his head. "All that time inside really fucked you up. Do you even still like pussy?"

"What?"

"I'm saying all you need to do is give her some sob story about your parents and she'll be like 'oh no my baby's hurtin. Maybe if I suck his dick he'll feel better'"

Reid went red like a tomato. "Dude. She's my friend."

George shrugged. "Just go feel on her booty a little bit and see what happens"

"You're disgusting" Reid got up and left.

He didn't expect to run right into Maggie as he was leaving. He turned around and sat back down.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" she asked them.

Noah didn't look up from his book. "Nothing much. What's good with you?"

"I've got this big test coming up so I wanted to get some studying done"

George didn't let his amusement show on his face. "That the only reason you came here?" he asked as his eye went to Reid.

Maggie ignored that question. She saw the pile of books in front of Noah. "Wow, you really like reading huh?"

Noah kept reading. "Yeah."

Maggie looked at some of the books Noah had on the table. There were some weapon manuals, books on anatomy, and a few books about different wars. She frowned. "Man, you have some seriously dull taste."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Where are the adventure books, the romance, things like that?"

"You really into that fairy tale shit?" George asked her.

"No harm in that. I happen to enjoy a few myself" Noah said.

"You do?" Maggie looked surprised.

Noah kicked Reid under the table.

Reid seemed to get it. "Sometimes it's good to read something a bit lighter. Any story you like in particular?" he asked her.

She had a nostalgic smile. " _The Golden Boy that was swallowed by the Sea._ Everyone from Menagerie knows that one by heart."

"You'll have to tell it to me sometime. My favorite would be _The Unknown Hero._ I used to read it all the time when I was a kid."

George looked bored. "I don't know nothing about any of this. I'm going to the town, see you guys later." George left the room.

"So Noah, what story do you like?" Reid asked.

" _The Witch on the Holy Mountain_ " Noah said.

Maggie frowned at him. "Really? That one's such a downer."

"Never heard of that one. What's it about?" Reid asked.

"I think it's a great story. It's a tale about being true to one's nature. Really it's a story about honesty more than anything else" Noah said.

Reid rubbed the back of his head. "I don't really understand."

Maggie had a serious look on her face. She turned to Reid. "I need to talk to you about something"

Reid's face was a blank. "Sure." They both left the room.

Noah went back to his book.

OoOoOoOoO

Maggie and Reid sat on a bench outside the school. She was looking down at the ground, her ears almost flat against her head. They'd been out here for half an hour and neither one had said a word yet. Reid didn't know what had gotten her so upset.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Sorry for what?"

"Do you remember when we met? I said that I used to live in Menagerie before coming to Vale."

"Yeah"

"I didn't tell you everything. I came with my dad. He told me that it wouldn't be like home. Not everyone thinks highly of the Faunus. I didn't really understand at first, but after a while I knew. How the people here treated him, how they treated me, it broke something in him. A couple years after we got to Vale we joined up with the White Fang."

Reid didn't know what kind of look he had on his face, but from the way Maggie flinched it must not have been a pleasant one. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because when you told me about what happened to your parents I didn't know what to do. You're my only friend and I was part of the group that took your parents from you. I felt like I had to make it up to you any way I could, but really all I was doing was trying to get over my own guilt."

"Wait, is that what the last few days have been about?"

She nodded. Reid thought about all the times she would appear almost out of nowhere eager to start a conversation with him, sometimes with a box of food in her hand. He started to laugh. Maggie glared at him.

"What is your problem" she asked angrily.

Reid calmed down. "Sorry. Look, I understand how you feel, but you really need to take a step back. When you got here I was still living in Atlas. I'm pretty sure my parents died before you even joined. You don't need to make anything up to me."

Her ears twitched. "Really?"

"Really. As long as we're friends that good enough"

Maggie smiled. "Thanks. I feel a lot better now."

"If you don't mind my asking, where's your dad now?"

"No idea. I haven't seen him since I left the group, and that was years ago." she looked up and saw the sun coming down. "It's getting late, we should head back inside."

The two of them got up and went back to the dorms.

Reid was glad it worked out. He knew what guilt could do to someone, and he didn't want his friend to go through that.

OoOoOoOo

George did not intend to spend the entire day at the arcade. He walked in on a whim and took a look around. What caught his eye was a punching machine. You punch a target and get a score based on how hard you hit. He decided to give it a try. One of his full power punches was enough to get him second place. He wasn't satisfied with that so he tried again. That gave him a higher score, but first place had more than three times the points he had. He tried everything. He changed his stance, he tried punching with his left, and even tried punching with both hands at once. In a moment of desperation he even tried a kick. He was almost thrown out after that. After hours of trying he was exhausted and the gap between him and first place was as great as it was at the start. He punched the ground in frustration. The letters next to the first place score seemed to mock him. He left the arcade. As he walked back to the dorm he screamed at the air.

"Who the fuck is Tai?!"

He grumbled with frustration and went back towards the dorm. As he was walking he felt something tugging on his arm. He turned around and didn't quite understand what he was looking at.

George had never done drugs in his life. He never drank, never smoked, and he never got high. He didn't even drink coffee. That thought crossed his mind because there was no other way to explain the fact that someone's shadow was trying to get his attention. It was a person, completely black from head to toe. The other people around seemed to think that it was normal since they went on about their day like nothing was wrong.

"Thank you" it sounded female. She took a step forward and tightly hugged George before running off.

George shrugged. As far as he was concerned this was just another one of life's great mysteries.

OoOoOoO

Oriana laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. It's what she did whenever she had nothing to do. She hadn't moved since class ended on Friday. She thought about possibly talking to a student. That thought passed quickly. She was about to initiate sleep sequence when there was a crackling noise in her ear.

"What's up baby?" it was a man she recognized.

"Why are you contacting me?" she asked him.

"Don't be like that. I saw you were bored so I found something for you to do."

She was interested. "What do you have in mind?"

"How would you like to meet your grandfather?"

"I thought he was dead"

"On paper he is. I want you to pay him a visit and make it more official"

"Sure"

"Good, tomorrow night then. On the way see if you can test out some of those weapons. We still need combat data from you." He hung up.

Oriana smiled and closed her eyes. Finally she had an opportunity to do what she was built to do.

OoOoOoO

The next morning Reid, Noah, and George were in their room.

"So how'd it go with Maggie?" Noah asked Reid.

"We talked things out" Reid said with a satisfied grin.

George was writing something down on a pad of paper. After a moment he ripped a sheet and started writing again.

"What are you writing?" Reid asked.

"A love letter" George said, still writing. He groaned with frustration and ripped up another sheet and started over again.

"Didn't think you knew what the word meant" Noah said.

"Ha fucking ha" George looked at the latest draft. He smiled and took it off the pad. He folded it up and wrote a name on the front. "I'm through sitting around waiting for things to happen. It's time to make something happen." He left the room. Reid and Noah looked at each other and shrugged.

OoOoOoO

Jaune sat in his room with the rest of his team. They had nothing to do and were starving for some entertainment.

"Let's play Rock Paper Scissors" Nora suggested. A chill ran through the room.

"I'll get the ice packs" Ren said as he got up from his bed. There was a knock at the door and a letter slipped underneath. He picked it up and saw that it was addressed to Pyrrha.

She took it. Nora ran up to it excited. "Is that a love letter? Omigosh omigosh someone's in love with Pyrrha. Read it, read it."

Pyyrha ignored her and read the letter.

 _There are so many things I wish to say, but I've never been good at writing. I can no longer contain the feelings I have. I wish to express them to you. If you are willing to accept them, meet me in the amphitheater._

 _George Garwood_

"That is so romantic" Nora said as she swooned dramatically.

"Isn't that that guy we met before?" Jaune asked. He definitely wouldn't be forgetting a guy that looked like that anytime soon.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "The amphitheater? Is he trying to confess or challenging you to a fight?"

Pyrrha went for the door. She couldn't keep herself from smiling. She knew he was holding back during his fight with Team SLYM, and if the rumors about what happened with the Boarbatusk were true he would be incredibly tough. She couldn't remember the last time she was this excited.

"Both" she said before she left the room.


	9. Little Weapon

These end of term meetings were always so tedious. That's what Professor Peach was thinking. She didn't want to spend her day listening to these old men and their stories. At this point she knew the tale of Team STRQ by heart. Although whatever happened during their fourth year was something none of the other teachers were willing to talk about. Either way the sooner this was over the sooner she could go home and watch her Mistrali cartoons.

After a lengthy discussion about budgets and scheduling the conversation shifted towards the first-year students.

"Ozpin, I understand you've taken an interest in Team RWBY" Professor Oobleck said.

"That certainly is an interesting combination. Rose, Xiao Long, Belladonna, and Schnee" Professor Port added.

Ozpin took a sip of coffee. "I see great potential in them. I am looking forward to seeing how they grow."

Port chuckled. "Speaking of growth, I hear Glynda has taken Team JNPR in her care. How is that going?"

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose and gave a heavy sigh. "They are… not getting worse." The other teachers started laughing. That the rank 1 first year and favorite to win the Vytal Tournament was placed on the same team as the student ranked dead last was a greater coincidence than Team RWBY's existence.

"You've certainly got your work cut out for you" Professor Oobleck said. He cleared his throat and spoke with a more serious tone. "Now, are there any areas of concern regarding the new students?"

Port sighed. "No school is without its problem children. Team CRDL comes to mind"

"I have spoken with them multiple times about their behavior, beyond that I can only hope another student can help them see the error of their ways" Glynda stated simply.

"They are certainly skilled, but their conduct leaves much to be desired" Ozpin said.

"On that note, something must be done about Team MRBL. A team cannot function if their leader isn't willing to work with them" Oobleck said.

"Can you blame her? I'm surprised she hasn't put one of them in the hospital. You know she asked me to put her on a different team? I think it'd be a good thing for her" Peach said.

Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "All team arrangements are final. You know that. Tell Maggie that this is just another trial for her to overcome."

"That girl has gone through more than enough trials!" Peach snapped. The other teachers looked at her with surprise. She took a moment to regain her composure. "Sorry. I was out of line."

"There is no need to apologize. I understand how you feel, but she must solve this problem herself" Ozpin replied calmly.

Peach decided that that argument was lost. "One last thing then. I'd like to personally oversee Team NGRO's development"

Port raised an eyebrow at her. "I was unaware that team needed any further guidance."

"They are gifted warriors for sure, but I was thinking of guiding them in a different manner."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Life counselling"

The other teachers looked at Peach with confusion.

Ozpin finished his coffee. "If there is no other business this meeting is adjourned. Please look over your lesson plans for Monday. You are dismissed"

OoOoOoO

George had butterflies in his stomach. He'd dreamt of this moment for years, ever since he first saw a video of her fighting. The thought of getting a chance to fight against her was part of the reason he joined the pros. Even when he was in prison watching her fights was the only thing that broke up the monotony of his day to day. Now he was about to go toe to toe with his idol. Part of him wondered if he was even worthy of standing on the same stage as her. He shook those thoughts from his mind. What he did in the past doesn't matter. All that matters is what's happening right now. He took a deep breath and meditated. She should be getting here soon. The opening of a door and footsteps signaled her arrival.

"Hello again" a female voice rang through the room. He looked up and saw Pyrrha in her full combat gear. A bronze breastplate and a brown skirt, wielding a spear and shield. She was beautiful. George felt underdressed in comparison. All he had on was a pair of black shorts and his weapons. It was the same outfit he wore when he debuted as a pro.

George smiled at her. He hadn't been so happy in years. He thought of what he should say to her. The sight of her other teammates wiped the smile from his face. He should have seen that coming. Reid and Noah were in the stands behind him.

"Hiiiiii" the orange haired girl said as she waved at him. The black haired one looked George up and down not saying a word. The blond one had a friendly grin.

Pyrrha made her way to the stage. "I got your letter." She got into a combat stance. George raised his fists. The monitors on the wall hummed to life and displayed their aura levels.

The blonde decided to act as announcer.

"This battle will end when one fighter is either rendered unable to fight or has their aura reduced to below safe levels. On the left representing Team JNPR; her record at the Mistral tournament is 24-0, she is the former champion of the Remnant Fighting Federation's Under-15 league. The Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos! On the right representing Team NGRO, with no records or title to his name, George Garwood! Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumble!" he was clearly enjoying himself. A bell sounded and the fight began.

George immediately went on the offensive. He ran at her and sent a punch straight at her head. It missed by a hair. Pyrrha countered and sent her spear into George's ribs. He winced in pain, but kept up the attack. He sent punch after punch, each one barely missing its target. George was confused at first, but as he looked at Pyrrha he noticed that she had two fingers off of her weapon every time he attacked. He decided to try something. He sent another hook, this one too barely missing. As his fist traveled he bent his arm and sent an elbow across her chin. She staggered backwards and shook her head. George tapped his weapons together and grinned. She got the message.

 _The metal. She's doing something to the metal_ George thought. It makes sense how she was able to win so many fights without being hit. Being able to control metal in a place like Remnant would make you a god on the battlefield. George couldn't have been happier. She was the same as him. Her strength and skill made her a force to be reckoned with, but her semblance put her over the top. If she wanted to she could just throw him into the ceiling and win that way, though that wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. George had similar thoughts. He didn't want to just activate his semblance and win automatically, he wanted to defeat his opponent with his own skills.

Pyrrha brought out her rifle and fired at George. As he blocked the bullets with his weapons she had already closed the gap between them attacked from his blind spot. She was ruthless. She sent a slashing attack at George's neck. He had no choice but to block with his arm. Even if no actual damage was done he could still feel her weapon cutting through his arm. He reeled backwards and went to counter attack. He put more force into his next blow. Pyrrha had no choice but to block with her shield. She extended her spear and stabbed George in the ribcage. They went like this for some time. One would attack, the other would counter. A punch to the gut, a stab to the shoulder, a hook to the temple, a bullet to the neck. They were both running low on aura. George decided to end it with his next attack. He brought his fist back and focused. His entire arm was covered in green energy. He was going to put everything he had left into this punch. He ran at Pyrrha with much more speed than he had before, and sent his fist directly at her like an arrow. Her eyes widened with shock as she raised her shield, reinforcing it with as much aura as she could before the attack landed. When it did it was like an explosion. The sound of metal meeting metal rang through the amphitheater. A hot wind blew through the room and Pyrrha was sent flying backwards. She landed on her feet, her legs shaking. The spot on her shield where the blow landed glowed bright orange for a few seconds. George was still standing, and walking towards her. The fight was his, all he needed was to capitalize on this opening.

The sound of the buzzer signaled the end of the match.

"The winner by aura depletion, Pyrrha Nikos" the blond announced. George looked at the monitor. Pyrrha's aura was barely above the line for elimination, while his was completely gone. He fell to the ground. Losing was frustrating, but he had enjoyed himself. He had an opportunity to express his feelings to Pyrrha and she took them head on. He got up and walked toward Pyrrha. She put her weapon away and shook his hand.

"That was an amazing battle" she said with a large smile.

"Thanks, it was fun" he said back. Pyrrha left with the rest of her team. As she was leaving George noticed that her shield arm hung limp at her side. Brief numbness was expected, a lesser fighter would have lost that arm. It was his signature technique: concentrate all of his aura in his fist and let fly. It saw plenty of use during his time with the GSK. Pyrrha could now be added to the very short list of people who took the attack and survived.

Reid and Noah went down to the stage.

"Remind me never to piss you off" Noah said.

Reid's eyes were wide with excitement. "That was amazing. I've never seen anything like that before."

"Glad you enjoyed it." George took off his weapons and flexed his fingers. He would need to see the nurse about his hand, but that could come later. For now, he just wanted to shower and sleep.

OoOoOoOoO

The worst part of being a henchman is that you don't always get to choose who you work for.

"Everything's here where we left it"

"Good. Bad enough that the guys that were supposed to come in on this got clapped, the last thing I need is my shit being found by the cops. You and the rest of those idiots stay there until I say you can go."

"You got it." the other voice hung up on him. "Asshole"

Black hated his new boss. He was always rude and abrasive. He preferred working for Junior. Sure he was a bit of a hothead, but he was a standup guy. He even paid his men's hospital bills after that blonde girl tore through the club like a hurricane. On the other hand, this guy he was working for now treated everyone like garbage. The worst part of all is that he was also working with the White Fang. He sighed and went back inside the warehouse with the other guys.

"Boss says we stay here 'til he gives the all clear" he said. The other men gave a loud groan. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but a job's a job." He couldn't blame them. He'd rather go another round with that blonde girl or the one with the scythe than spend the rest of the night freezing his ass off in this warehouse. He leaned against a crate to relax when he heard footsteps. He looked towards the sound and saw what looked like a young girl.

He panicked for a second before realizing that it wasn't the blond or the red one. Maybe this one could be reasoned with.

"You shouldn't be here, especially not so late" he said to the girl. The girl smiled at him. A chill went up his spine. This wasn't a normal smile, it was a warning. This girl was a monster preparing to devour its prey. It reminded him of a line from a story he liked to read when he was a kid

 _Beware, for I am death._

The girl lifted up her shirt, exposing her pale stomach. A panel opened up and a small, round object fell out of her and onto the ground. She kicked it toward a group of men and the warehouse was rocked by an explosion.

He looked around him. The good news is that the explosion didn't damage any of the containers, the bad news was that two men were dead. Three drew their swords and ran at the girl. One swung at her and she caught the blade in her hand and snapped it in two. Her other hand fell off and a stream of bullets came from her arm. As she shot one man down she stabbed another with the broken piece of sword. The last man stood in front of her. She dropped the piece of sword and put a hand to her ear, like she was talking to someone. All of a sudden several cone shaped objects came out of her back. They hovered in the air for a second before shooting out beams of light. One went through the last man before her and he fell over. The objects fired at every living thing in the warehouse, cutting them down with ruthless efficiency.

Black felt a burning sensation in his shoulder. He looked to his left and saw that his arm was on the ground. He felt something burning in his leg and fell to the ground. He was helpless to stop what was coming. The girl walked up to him, deliberately slowing her pace to mock his inability to fight back. She stood over him, a foot raised above his head. In his final moments Black thought of what he could have done to deserve any of this. Sure he stole stuff, and he had to go upside some heads once or twice. But it wasn't like he had ever killed anyone. He wasn't pimping women, and he certainly wasn't like those savages in Mistral.

The girls foot came crashing down, and his thoughts ceased.

OoOoOoO

As Oriana went to her next destination she couldn't help but feel a little curious. She put a hand to her ear. "Who were those people again?"

"They worked for some small time asshole name of Junior. Don't worry about him, he's nobody. Anyway, great job in there. I'll be eating good off of this data." The voice at the other end complimented her like she had gotten a perfect report card.

"I do not care about data, I just wanted to stretch my legs."

The voice laughed. "I'll send a team to take care of the bodies, you focus on that other thing. Try not to get overwhelmed with emotion."

She ignored his joke. He knew better than anyone that something like that wasn't possible.

OoOoOoO

She found the place she was looking for. It was a house a fair distance away from the rest. In a place like Vale a secluded place like this one came at a premium. She looked around and saw that there wasn't any security on the house. No cameras, no alarm, no guards. That was to be expected, the person who lived there wanted to keep a low profile. She walked right in, the person inside didn't bother locking the front door.

She found the man in his room. An old man, his face gaunt and his hair gray with age. He was typing at a computer which was the only source of light in the room. He stopped typing and looked up at her when he heard her walk in.

"Oriana, I see they put you back together. I was worried your little spat with Model 16 spelled the end of you." The old man smiled like he was talking to a relative.

Oriana smiled back at him. "It's good to see you too Dr. Whiskey."

The doctor thought for a moment. "It is good that you're walking again, but what are you doing in Vale?"

Her smile faded away. "I'm here to kill you."

The old man's face fell into a mixture of confusion and panic. "What?"

"Word from on high, my people say you have to go."

"Redbone? I know you're working for him now."

She shook her head. " _My_ people. Your people."

His eyes went wide. "The science team? But why? I did what they asked, I went into hiding."

"Think about it. I found you. Maybe next time it's Ozpin, or someone from the council. Maybe they start asking questions like; 'how are you still alive after what you did' or 'if you're still alive does that mean that the Atlesian military is still conducting that highly unethical research that was outlawed years ago'. A lot of good men would end up in prison or executed. You understand that cannot happen."

She could see the gears turning in the old man's head. He managed to negotiate himself out of a death sentence one time, maybe he could do it again.

"What if I went further away, like Vacuo? No one would think to look for me there."

She gave a slight chuckle. "Come on. We both know you'd never be able to change. I bet if I looked at that computer right now I'd find all kinds of diabolical shit. You're one of the most brilliant minds in Atlas. Your research led to the greatest technological advancement since the Great War, but your methods were inhumane at best. If anyone found out how you discovered that it was even possible to imbue a combat android with an aura it would lead to a scandal the likes of which we've never seen, maybe even another war."

The old man sighed. He knew that there was no way out of this. "So that's it then. Thirty years with them and what do I have to show for it? I get exiled, my name is erased from every record, and as one last insult they send my own creation to do me in." he started laughing. "I might as well tell you this. Did you know that they're planning on having Model 16 fight in the tournament?"

"What?" replied Oriana.

The old man laughed even harder. "I still keep in contact with some of the other scientists. It was Ironwood's idea from what I heard. My research couldn't have been that inhumane if he let Polendina send his little doll out to fight for him."

Oriana would need to talk to someone about that later. "So, how do you want it?"

"Just make it quick" the old man replied.

Oriana leaned forward and kissed the old man on the cheek before wrapping her steel hands around his throat. He didn't put up any kind of resistance. In less than a minute the old man was dead. She looked at his computer. Her hunch was right. It was full of blueprints for different kinds of weapons. She removed the hard drive from the computer, figuring that the scientists would be interested in the contents.

As she walked back towards the school she was contacted again by her handler.

"Is it done?" the voice asked.

"Yeah. How long has Model 16 been in Vale?"

"A few days, why are you asking?" there was a brief pause before he realized what she meant. "No. Absolutely not."

"All I want is to talk to her. I see no issue with that."

"Remember how your last little talk went? Besides, Ironwood is with her and if he sees you walking around he'll fly straight back to Atlas and put his boot up my ass."

She tried not to laugh at the image his words brought to mind. "How is that my problem?"

The voice grew angry. "Do I need to give you an order to stay away from her?"

She sighed. "No. I understand."

"Good. The next time I contact you it'll be for another job, so try and relax for now."

"As you wish, father"


	10. Moon People

"I've spent today's class telling you about how dust can be used in a combat situation, but I think it would be better if I showed you directly. Now, I need a few volunteers."

Four hands went up. Noah, Reid, George, and Maggie stood in front of the teacher.

"Good" Peach said. "Now then, all of you attack at once."

Noah drew his guns and fired. One of Peach's fingers glowed blue and the bullets were stopped by a thick block of ice. George ran up and swung at her, she dodged and readied a counter. Her clenched fist glowed black and a crushing blow sent George flying across the room. In an instant she was in front of Noah and sending a kick up toward his head. He barely avoided her foot, but something hit him hard on the chin. A block of ice stuck out of Peach's heel. He stumbled and fell to the ground.

Peach yawned and turned toward the rest of the class. "That's two down. Now then, who can tell me what types of dust I used?"

A student raised their hand. "Ice and Gravity."

The professor clapped. "Correct. The process of infusing clothing with dust is an intensive one, especially for those who weave multiple types into one garment. However, I feel that the results are worth the effort." She held up her hand, her five fingers each glowed a different color. It was easy to see why she taught Dust Theory.

Another student raised their hand. "What about infusing Dust into your skin?"

The professor frowned. "That is an ancient art. Very few people still do that." She took a look at the students that were still standing. "What are you waiting for? I'm not done."

Reid slashed at the professor. She blocked his blade with her forearm and tapped him on his forehead. In an instant electricity coursed through his body. He fell to the floor with smoke coming off his clothes.

Maggie sent a kick at peach's head. Peach threw both her arms out, catching Maggie's foot in her hand. Curiously a small puff of smoke appeared in her empty hand, like it had been struck too. Peach punched Maggie in the stomach and her upper body was engulfed in flames. As she fell the bell rang signaling the end of class.

"I want a five page report on the topic we discussed today by next week." She jostled Maggie with her foot. "You stick around, I need to talk to you."

OoOoOoO

Noah's entire body was on fire. His arms and legs ached, his back hurt, and he could barely breathe. He had fallen to the ground in a pool of sweat. His vision was blurry and unfocused.

He spoke through ragged breaths. "So… how many was that?"

"Two" Oriana replied.

They were spending their time after class in the school's gym. One of the professors commented on Noah's lack of physical strength and suggested he start exercising. Attempting a set of push-ups demonstrated how dire his situation was.

Reid looked at Noah on the ground and sighed. He was curling a dumbbell while watching Maggie go to work on a heavy bag. It was hard for him not to stare at her in her training outfit. She was wearing a white sport top and a pair of tight black shorts. Maggie wasn't the most feminine looking girl, especially when compared to the likes of Pyrrha or Yang, but Reid thought she was beautiful in her own way. Her toned arms and legs that were covered in scars, the sweat running down her abs, the circular scar on her stomach that he was told came from the time she got shot, the outline of her underwear that showed through her shorts. He shook his head vigorously. The last thing he should be doing is thinking about his friend like that.

"So what did Peach want to talk to you about?" he asked her.

She frowned and punched the bag two times. "School stuff"

"Did it have to do with your team?"

She groaned and punched the bag some more. "You gonna crawl up my ass about that too?"

"No. you handle that however you feel like, but you have to handle it"

She gave the bag a hard kick. "I know, it's just…" her voice trailed off. A silence hung in the air that was interrupted by George loudly re-racking his weights.

"Woo! New record!" he shouted and pounded on his chest. There was no reason for him to be in the gym. Strength training would be useless for someone already as strong as he is. The only reason he came was because he heard one of Pyrrha's teammates held the bench press record at Beacon and he felt like breaking it.

Maggie had a slight smile. "I wish I could be like him sometimes. He sees a problem and he runs right through it."

Reid laughed. "George thinks that every issue can be solved by punching it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

Maggie punched the bag some more. "Maybe that's how I can solve my problem"

A new voice entered the conversation. "Get lost mutt, I need to use the bag"

Maggie turned around and scowled. "What did you call me?"

It was a male student. He was tall, with slicked back dark orange hair and lavender eyes and the most disgusting grin on his face.

"What do you want Cardin?" Reid asked.

"I told you, I wanted to get some exercise. You two can go play fetch behind the school."

Maggie's scowl grew more intense. "Watch your mouth. Velvet might put up with your shit, but I won't"

Cardin put his hands up. "Someone's feisty. Maybe you should go to the vet, make sure you don't have rabies."

Maggie's fist went flying toward Cardin's face, but stopped an inch short. Maggie looked to her side and saw Reid holding on to her arm. He looked at her and shook his head.

"He's not worth it" Reid said. Maggie wrenched her arm free and stormed out of the gym. Cardin howled with laughter after she left.

Reid glared at Cardin. "What is your problem?"

"What? It's just a little teasing. Not my fault she can't handle it."

"She's got enough to deal with without you."

Cardin got up in Reid's face. "What do you care? You like her or something? You know there's laws against that kind of thing"

Reid was finding it difficult to keep his anger in check. He was on the verge of attacking Cardin himself. The two of them were so focused on each other that neither one noticed George until he punched Cardin in the jaw and sent him to the floor.

Reid looked at George with shock. "Why'd you do that?"

George looked disgusted. "Can't let someone disrespect you like that. You go around letting people think you're shook they'll walk all over you."

Reid sighed. "Call a nurse, I'm gonna go look for Maggie."

OoOoOoO

Maggie sat on the edge of the roof of the dorm building. She liked to come here to take her mind off things. She'd been coming here a lot lately. Between her team, Reid, and people like Cardin her mind was heavy with various thoughts. She didn't want to be the frightened little girl she was when she came to Vale, but she didn't want to be the girl consumed by hate that she used to be either.

A nice smell drifted across the roof. She turned around and saw Reid with a box of food in his hand.

He sat down next to her and handed her the box. "I got you some chicken. I know how much you like it"

"Thanks" she said as she took the box. "I hear Cardin's laid up with a broken jaw."

Reid grinned. "Thank George for that. I had nothing to do with it"

"Appreciate it all the same." She took a bite of food. "It's hard, you know? I could have hit him, but what would that have gotten me? He'd still be the same, and I'd just be moving backwards. I don't want to go back to how I used to be."

"What were you like before?"

Maggie sighed. "Angry. That's one way to describe it. Even after I left the Fang I was just mad all the time. I would get into fights over the pettiest shit. If it weren't for Professor Peach I'd probably be in jail or dead right now. Even now she's helping to keep me on the straight and narrow. This shit with my team would have ended badly for all of us if she didn't step in."

"You really admire her huh?" Reid asked. After fighting the both of them it was hard to miss the similarities between her and Peach's technique. They say you can tell a lot about someone by how they fight. Maggie's fighting style showed an incredible amount of respect for her teacher.

Her smile was brighter than the stars in the night sky. "Yeah. She's amazing. I hope I can be half as great as her one day." She paused and looked a Reid. "You know, I've told you so much about me, but I hardly know anything about you"

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything"

"Hmmm… my hair used to be red, the first time I got into a fight I broke both my arms, I didn't open my eyes until I was a week old, and I can run for ten miles without getting tired."

"Neat." She looked down and pressed her fingers together. "If it's alright with you, do you think you could tell me a little about your parents?"

Reid was quiet for several seconds. "My dad was from Mantle. He grew up dead broke, nothing to him but his name. After he graduated from Atlas Academy he got a job with the SDC as a security guard, which is where he met my mom. She was a secretary I think. My mom was from Atlas, not one of those high society types though. After a while they got married and nine months after that I was born. You know what happened after that."

Maggie looked down at her hands, her ears drooping. "Yeah. What were they like?"

"They were great. My dad was kind of a hardass, always on me about doing well in school. When I got good grades he'd pat me on the head and say 'good job, but I know you can do better.' My mom loved gardening, I would help whenever I had some free time. Although every time I'd just end up playing in the dirt while she did all the work." Reid stood up and stretched. "I was the same as you. After they passed I was full of hate. I'd lash out at people that were just trying to help me. I ended up falling in with some bad people, and I did a lot of things I ended up regretting. I don't think I'll ever make up for it, but I'm trying. I've let go of the past, and you can too. Wow, I feel weird. I've never talked about this with anyone before."

Maggie got up too. "You're right. I think I know what I need to do." She walked up to Reid and wrapped him up in a tight hug. "Even if I only have one friend, I'm really glad it's you."

Reid returned her embrace. "Same"

OoOoOoO

The next day after class Reid got a message on his scroll telling him to go to the infirmary. When he got there he found Maggie in a bed being tended to by a nurse. She had a black eye, her cheek was bandaged, her right arm was in a sling, and her left leg was in a cast.

"The hell happened to you?" Reid asked.

The old nurse's face was furrowed with frustration. "Miss Grimes here thought it would be a good idea to fight her entire team at once."

"Damn. Wait, I thought you wanted to avoid that?" Reid said.

Maggie shrugged with her good arm. "If I wanted to beat them into submission I would have done it already. I wanted to lay everything out so we could sort out our feelings."

"And a fight was the best way to do that?"

"It didn't start that way. We were talking, we started arguing, someone punched me in the face, and the next thing we know we're all bloody and sore and we're laughing so hard. After that we started talking again."

"So how do you feel?"

"Good, I feel good. It's like this weight's been taken off me."

"Good to hear." Reid looked at Maggie's various injuries. "Man, they really did a number on you"

"No bitches on Team MRBL. Besides, I won." She started laughing, but cried out in pain instead. "I forgot about my rib." Her ears perked up and she looked panicked. "Oh no."

Reid could hear footsteps, loud and angry. The door to the infirmary flew open and Professor Peach stomped in. Her face was twisted with rage. She walked right up to Maggie and slapped her hard across the face.

"Are you insane? You could have gotten yourself killed." She said, anger hanging off every word.

Maggie put a hand to her cheek and looked down. "I'm sorry"

"As long as you understand what you did wrong. Having said that." She put a hand on Maggie's head and gently ruffled her hair. "I'm proud of you."

Maggie looked like she had been waiting to hear those words her whole life. She looked so happy she didn't notice her eyes filling up with tears. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."

Peach smiled at her. "I know you won't. Get some rest." She grabbed Reid by the arm and the two of them left the nurse's office.

Once they were a fair distance away Peach decided to speak to Reid.

"Thanks"

"For what?" Reid asked.

"I've known that girl for a long time. She used to be real withdrawn, wouldn't even talk to anyone but me. I was worried about how she would do in school, but then you come along and help her open up. I appreciate it."

"I'm just doing what a friend would do."

Peach laughed. "Simple guy. I like that. Either way I owe you one. You need anything, all you have to do is ask."


	11. BooGee

In his life Noah had learned to assume whatever role the situation called for. He'd been a doctor, a scientist, a killer, whatever he needed to be at the time. However, becoming a woman was not something he had planned on anytime soon.

His team had gotten a message about a job and he was the only one who could do it. George had been in the forest since Friday night, and he didn't want to burden Reid with it. This job had a narrow window which meant it had to be done during the day. That required a disguise, but he had trouble thinking of one. He was on his way to his target when he passed a clothing store. There was a mannequin in the window wearing a dress. It gave him an idea. He ducked into an alley and a few minutes later he emerged looking completely different. He was slightly taller, wearing a sweater and a pair of dress pants. He was also a fair skinned young woman. He had pushed his semblance to its limits to reach this level of alteration.

He hurried to his target, he wanted to get this done quick before he got used to it. He found a man who looked like his target talking with two other people.

He walked right up to the man and shot him twice in the head. People screamed and ran away. Noah ducked into another alley and transformed himself again. This new form was still female, but slimmer, younger and with a completely different appearance. He casually walked away from the crime scene, almost giddy at how easily he had pulled it off.

That thought made him pause. It was the same as the last time. He figured he should be feeling something like guilt, but before he felt nothing, and now he was almost happy. He knew that wasn't right. He wasn't one of those people that liked hurting others, but the way he felt now wasn't normal. Maybe there was something wrong with him.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and went to find Reid. A girl alone in a place like this would attract all kinds of unwanted attention.

OoOoOoO

It was Saturday and Reid had nothing to do. Noah was working, George planned on spending the day in the forest training, and Maggie was still in the infirmary recovering. He figured that while he was in the city he might as well take care of some business.

He walked into the weapon shop he visited the day he arrived in Vale. The owner saw him and smiled.

"Welcome back. I was wondering if I'd ever see you again. How've you been? Your weapon serving you well?"

 _Oh yeah it's working great. I especially like the way it can cut someone's head off in one swing. "_ It's great. I actually came by to pick up some more ammo, and a sharpening kit."

The old man tallied up Reid's order. "Did you hear about what happened at the docks? They say that a bunch of White Fang were sitting on a warehouse full of stolen dust. Who knows what they were planning to do with it. Luckily they were arrested."

Reid clenched his fist in anger. "We're living in dangerous times." He paid for his order and took the bag from the clerk. "You take care."

Now that he had taken care of that, he decided that the next thing would be to find a place to eat. He remembered this noodle stand Noah had mentioned once. He was walking through the city looking when something caught his eye.

It was a small child, with a pair of floppy dog ears on his head. He looked like he had gotten separated from his parents. He was crying and calling for his mother. Reid noticed people around him avoiding him and acting like he wasn't even there.

It made Reid sick to see this. He walked up to the boy and held out a hand. "Hey little guy. Are you lost?"

The boy took a step back and eyed Reid suspiciously. He sniffed at Reid's hand a few times and smiled. Reid figured that he must smell trustworthy. He tried again to talk with him. "How old are you?" he asked. The boy held up five fingers in response. Reid sighed. "Let's help you find your mommy, okay?"

He took the boy by the hand and they walked all over. He called out to passersby asking if this was their child. No one even looked in his direction. After more than an hour he wasn't any closer to finding the boy's mother. He was going to take the kid to a police station when he heard a woman shouting.

"Joey! Joey!"

The boy smiled and ran towards the woman. She saw him and scooped him up in her arms. "Oh I'm so sorry sweetie, are you okay?"

"Your boy's fine ma'am" Reid said. The woman glared at him and her tail pointed straight up. Reid instinctively took a step back. "He was looking for you, I helped him out"

The woman turned and walked away without saying a word. The boy waved at Reid as he was pulled along.

"Not even a thank you?" Reid muttered to himself.

"That was so sweet. Most people wouldn't go out of their way to help a Faunus." a girl said to him. Reid turned around and saw a trio of girls. He recognized two of them, one was the girl George slapped, the other he met in the training field. The last one had white hair and blue eyes. Reid could swear he had seen her somewhere before.

"I don't have it in me to ignore a crying child" Reid said. Seeing that boy with tears in his eyes brought up all kinds of unpleasant memories.

"Either way, good on you. If you're not busy you wanna hang for a bit?" the blond asked.

Reid felt his stomach rumble. "Sure"

They went to a food stand. Since the white haired girl offered to pay he decided to treat himself. Four burgers later he was full and satisfied.

"How can you eat like that and stay so skinny?" the small girl asked. Reid shrugged. He looked at the white haired girl. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't remember what.

She noticed him staring. "Is there something on my face?"

Reid looked away from her. "No, I just feel like I've met you somewhere before." He racked his brain trying to remember where he had seen her before when it hit him. "Are you a Schnee?"

The girl looked defensive. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"My parents worked for the Schnee Dust Company. I went with them to some company outing and I got to meet the company president. You look a lot like him"

The girl scoffed. "I would imagine, my father is the president"

"Cool." He took another look at the blond girl. "You're Yang right?"

The blond grinned. "Yep. You gonna tell me your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Reid. I'm part of Team NGRO"

The room suddenly felt strange. One part was burning hot, while another was freezing.

"So that big guy with the one eye is your teammate?" Yang asked.

"So that lying bastard is your teammate?" the Schnee girl asked, grinding her teeth.

Reid sighed. He had no idea what Noah had done to anger this girl, and he didn't want them taking their anger out on him.

"Whatever my teammates did, I'm sorry. I don't condone their behavior. On that note, I have to go"

As Reid was leaving the food stand he thought about the day he met the SDC president. It was at his parents' funeral. He gave him some speech about how his parents were valuable members of the company and they will be missed dearly. Reid didn't hear any of it though. That day he wasn't up to listening to anyone. He later learned that the president paid for the funeral out of his own pocket. It was a nice gesture, but in hindsight Reid couldn't help but feel it was about PR more than anything else.

Thinking about that just saddened Reid, so he put that out of his mind. He heard someone whistle at him. He turned and a dark skinned girl with lavender hair ran up and wrapped her arms around him. The smell of perfume filled his nose.

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you. You forgot about our date didn't you?" the girl said.

Reid's face reddened and he pushed her away. "You must have me confused for someone else."

The girl started to cry. "How could you say that? I thought we had something special. Am I just a piece of meat to you? You think now that you got what you wanted you don't need me anymore?"

Reid had no idea what was going on. He looked around and saw there were people staring at him. The girls he had just met were all glaring at him. He grabbed the girl by the arm and they walked off together.

"What is your deal?" Reid asked once they were alone.

"You really don't know who I am?" the girl asked. Reid shook his head. "Come on, look closer"

Reid looked at the girl, but didn't see anything different. He could smell her perfume, but there was a small hint of something else. It smelled like gun smoke.

Reid's mouth fell open. "Noah? What happened to you?"

The girl fell over laughing. "I told you, imitations and alterations"

That only raised more questions. "When we get back you need to tell me more about that"

"Okay." Noah held out his hand. "Would you be a gentleman and walk me home?"

Reid laughed and took Noah's hand, and the two of them went home together.

OoOoOoOoO

George did not mean to oversleep, but he found that the forest was much more comfortable than the desert. He'd spent the previous night killing Grimm, but after a while they stopped coming. He figured that was his cue to go to bed.

He took a deep breath and meditated as Nene's words echoed in his head.

 _Aura is like your life force. Every living thing has one, but not everyone has theirs unlocked. Some people have more than others. You've got a lot, but you could always use more. You learn how to use it properly, you'll be unstoppable._

That was the day he met her. She asked him if he knew his aura was leaking, and found his confusion at her question interesting. She ended up taking him under her wing and teaching him how to properly use his powers.

 _Summon your aura. Control it. Inflame it. Then hold it like that for as long as you can. You do that every day. Don't forget._

He summoned his aura. He felt the power flow through him. Inflaming your aura was a lot like flexing your muscles. It was mainly an intimidation tactic, but George found it useful as training. His aura surged and went everywhere. He disappeared in the green energy. When he first started he could only do this for a few seconds. After years of training he could hold this for four hours. He did this every day, not even prison broke his routine. He even got up early every morning to get some meditation in before classes. Today he wanted to see if he could push himself even further. Four hours had passed. He was approaching his limit. His aura flickered and sputtered. He gave out and fell to the ground. He was breathing heavily and covered in sweat, but he managed to hold it a bit longer this time. He took a moment to recharge.

His display had attracted a guest, an Ursa to be exact. It was big and spiky. He couldn't tell if it was one of the weak ones or the strong ones, but it's not like it mattered. It roared and attacked. Its large swipes were easily dodged. It might as well be broadcasting its attacks in advance. It was too low a level to be a serious threat. It bit into George's shoulder and its teeth shattered. It seemed to realize it was outmatched as it tried to retreat. George concentrated his aura into his arm. His fist flew and vaporized the Ursa and the tree behind it.

"You're pretty good." George had another guest. It was Professor Peach.

"You need something?" George asked.

"Not really. I just felt like talking. You've got an impressive aura. I could feel it all the way in my office."

"I've been at this a long time."

"It shows. You're so strong yet you've never been to school. What did you do before coming here?"

George didn't say anything. That was expected. She knew he didn't like being asked about his past. If she wanted answers out of him she would need to change up her approach.

"Why did you hold back in class that day? I know you could have gotten back up."

George looked at her. "Wasn't that supposed to be a lesson?"

"Yeah, but do you think you need to hold back against me? It's not like you could actually beat me."

George grinned. "How 'bout we find out?"

Peach smiled at him. "Let's make it interesting. If I win, you tell me one thing about yourself."

"What do I get if I win?"

"Whatever you want"

Their fight didn't last very long, and it ended with George buried in the ground with fist and boot imprints all over his body.

George groaned and tried to move, but couldn't. "Alright, you get one question."

"When did you first unlock your aura?"

George thought for a moment. "Not sure. Around seven I guess." That's how old he was when he met Nene.

Peach frowned. "That's quite young. Most people are baptized when they're fourteen, right before they enter a school."

"I'm not most people."

"True. One more question. Did you get sick a lot when you were a kid?"

George looked surprised. "Yeah, until I was about six. How'd you know?"

Peach grimaced. "Just a guess."

She knew that his aura levels weren't normal for someone his age. Even if he said he unlocked it when he was seven he might not have known about it before then. The most likely scenario was that he had his aura unlocked when he was first born. She heard some of the less savory types in Vacuo would recruit soldiers straight out of the womb. Aura is constantly trying to escape your body. An older person would know how to keep it in instinctively, but an infant would be risking death. It's no wonder his was so strong. The first six years of his life must have been agony.

"Anything else you wanna know?" George asked.

Peach shook her head. "I learned a lot about you. Maybe we can talk more another day." She turned and went back towards the school.

George shrugged and went back to his training. He thought of other people who he should see. Yang was still on his list, he'd heard promising things about Team CFVY, and pretty soon kids from other schools would be coming to prepare for the Vytal Festival. Then there was Peach. She was something else. He'd need to step it up to stand a chance against her. Especially if she intended to beat his secrets out of him.


	12. Mind Playing Tricks On Me

This was the first time Reid dreamt about something other than the night of the fire.

It was the day he was well enough to leave the hospital. He had gotten into a fight, not knowing the other kid had a damage reflecting semblance, and ended up with two broken arms. His father had to take the day off to bring him home so he was in a foul mood. The drive home was incredibly uncomfortable.

"You shouldn't be fighting at school. I'm not paying tuition so you can jag off your education. " his father said.

"That other kid started it" Reid said.

"Doesn't matter who started it, you shouldn't be fighting in school. You keep that up you'll end up like me doing shit work for shit pay. I want better for you than what I got, you understand?"

"Yes sir." Reid often found it difficult to talk to his father. He was a nice person, but the stress from his work weighed on him and made him prone to lashing out at those around him. Reid found himself on the receiving end of his father's rage more than once. It was not a fun experience.

His father looked at him and smiled. "So you really punched him with a broken arm?"

Reid's face lit up. "Yeah. It really hurt, but I won." The two of them started laughing.

"What was the fight about anyway?" his father asked.

"He was being a bully. I told him to cut it out but he wouldn't listen."

He placed a hand on Reid's head. "Good job."

His father got a call on his scroll. He pressed a button on the car's steering wheel and answered.

"Hey John? It's Wave."

"What do you want? I'm not loaning you money again."

"No, it ain't that. I didn't wanna tell you this over the phone."

John was getting annoyed. "Spit it out man"

"They killed Paul, man."

John paused. His face was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "What?"

"Yeah man, they got him over on 85th and Bell. Just walked up and shot him."

"What happened to the shooter?"

"He's dead too, soldiers got him. He looks like he's twelve. They've got fucking kids doing this shit now. Shit is fucked up. I gotta go, I'll call you back." Wave hung up. For a moment the only sounds in the car were the sound of the engine, and John's ragged breathing.

Even though he was only nine, Reid knew who "they" referred to. Everyone who lived in Atlas knew about the White Fang for one reason or another. Because both of Reid's parents work for the Schnee Dust Company they were all more than familiar. However that wasn't what was on his mind right now.

Paul Umbra was like an uncle to Reid. He and John grew up together. He was the one who introduced him to the woman who would later become his wife, he was the best man at his wedding, and he was even there when Reid was born. Every other weekend he would come over to spend time with John and his family. He treated John like a brother and Reid like his own son. He was the nicest person either of them knew, so why would anyone want to kill him?

"Fucking animals!" John shouted as he punched the steering wheel. The horn wailed, making Reid jump in his seat. John looked at Reid and saw the tears and the hurt in his eyes. "Shit, I'm sorry" his voice trailed off. He stepped on the gas not saying a word.

When they got home Reid's mother Jade was there waiting. She was sitting on the couch crying. Someone had already told her about what happened to Paul. When she saw her husband and son walk through the door she ran into her husband's arms and sobbed into his chest. It hurt the both of them to see her this way.

"Are you alright?" John asked her. She tried to answer but couldn't. All she could do was cry.

After a time they had all calmed down. John was the closest thing to Paul's next of kin, so responsibilities for the funeral arrangements fell to him. He left to go take care of that and had Reid take care of Jade.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at him. "I'm much better now that you're here."

"Why did they kill Uncle Paul?" Reid asked his mother.

She ran a hand through her hair. "People are angry. When people get angry they sometimes do things that end up hurting a lot of people, sometimes they even end up hurting themselves."

"Why are they so angry?"

"It's complicated. You're far too young to be worrying about all that."

Reid looked down at the ground. "Dad was really mad."

"I'm sure he was. He lost someone very important to him. He just needs time to sort himself out." She picked Reid up and embraced him. He could smell flowers. She must have been in the garden earlier.

"He said they were animals. Does dad think I'm an animal?" Reid asked.

His mother set him down and looked him in the eyes with a stern expression. "No. Don't pay any mind to what he says when he's angry. He saw what you looked like the day you were born and he's loved you ever since. Don't you forget that."

"Okay."

She smiled at him. "I love you too. You're such a good boy." She stroked his hair. Reid's tail swished back and forth.

"Really?"

She held him even tighter. "Really. You're a good boy." She scratched under his chin and he started laughing.

Reid's eyes snapped open and he laid in bed with a splitting headache. It felt like his skull was about to come apart. He went to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. He splashed some water on his face from the sink and looked at the time. It was one in the morning. His head was full of fog, and there was no way he would be able to get back to sleep. He stumbled out of the room and into the night.

OoOoOoOo

He wandered through the city, his head still pounding. He had no idea what he was doing, but he kept going. Eventually he ended up in the park, and laid down on a bench. He wanted to sleep, but his headache kept him up. He thought about what he's been doing so far. It was good to be out of prison, but he would rather have spent the rest of his life in an isolation cell than do what he was doing now. How could he say he wanted revenge against the White Fang when he wasn't any better than they were?

"You look like you've got something on your mind." A man's voice called out to him. It was an older man wearing a trench coat and a bowler hat. He smelled like cigar smoke. Next to him was a small girl. She smiled and waved at him. Reid's nose twitched. The girl reeked of blood, like she bathed in it.

"Do you need something?" Reid mumbled.

"I saw someone in need of guidance and figured I have nothing better to do than help them out" the man said. He pulled out a cigar and lit it. "So, what's eating you kid?"

Reid had no idea who this person was or why he was so interested in him. Maybe it was the headache, but something made Reid open up. He told the man everything. About his parents, how he lost his tail, the night of the fire, his time in prison, and what he'd been doing since getting out.

When Reid was done the man let out a low whistle. "That is some heavy shit." The girl put a sympathetic hand on Reid's shoulder.

"I don't know what to do. I hate this shit, but I can't stop or they'll kill me."

"Sometimes there's nothing you can do. That's the lesson of the day kid: sometimes life will just shit on you. All you can do is make the best of it."

The girl didn't talk. She made these strange motions with her hand, like she was trying to signal something to him. Somehow Reid understood what she was trying to say.

 _l-i-f-e i-s h-a-r-d f-o-r e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e. i-f y-o-u d-o n-o-t h-a-v-e a c-h-o-i-c-e, a-t l-e-a-s-t t-r-y t-o e-n-j-o-y y-o-u-r-s-e-l-f_

Reid didn't know how to respond to that. The smile that girl gave him made his skin crawl. "Thanks." As soon as Reid said that the two of them disappeared. All traces of them had vanished, even their smell. Reid shook his head. "I must be losing it." He got off the bench and went back to wandering. His headache had gotten worse.

He saw warehouses. He was near the docks. The smell of seawater reminded him of Maggie. He wanted to be near her, to see her smile, to hear her voice, to breathe her in.

"I really am losing it" he said.

He voices. Reid walked up and saw a someone nears the water's edge. It was a man wearing plain clothes, but when he turned Reid saw that he was wearing a mask. It was white, like a Grimm's mask. He was White Fang, probably unaware that the members who had occupied the docks were all arrested.

There was silence. Neither of the two said a word. Reid's heart was pounding, he was breathing heavy, his head felt like it was about to burst. He was seeing red. Reid blinked and the man was on the ground holding his nose. He looked like he was saying something, but Reid didn't hear him. Reid blinked again and his hands were around the man's throat. His mask had fallen off and Reid looked as the light faded from the man's eyes. Reid blinked again and he was all alone on the pier. There was no one around. He went back towards the school. Maybe the nurse could give him something for his headache.

OoOoOoOoO

"Reid. Reid get up"

Someone was shaking him by the shoulder. He opened his eyes and winced at the blinding white light. Once he adjusted he opened them again. He was in the nurse's office, on the floor next to Maggie's bed. He had no idea how he had gotten here, but at least his headache was gone.

"What time is it?" he grumbled.

"It's one in the afternoon. I've been trying to wake you up for an hour" Maggie replied. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't remember." He got up and felt sore all over. He looked at his hands and saw that his knuckles were scraped up. He wondered what he'd been doing last night. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, I should be out of here in a few days. I've never had the best aura control so I don't heal as fast as other people."

"That's good." He looked at Maggie. The injuries to her face was gone already, and her breathing was more even than it was, which meant her ribs had healed. His eyes went to the top of her head and a strange urge came over him. "You know, I might not ever get another chance to do this."

"Do what?" she asked, sounding concerned. Reid got closer to her. He reached out his hands and began to play with her ears. He gently stroked, plied and pinched them. Maggie's face went red and she squirmed with discomfort. "Cut that out."

He ignored her. He didn't know why he was doing this, but he found himself unable to stop. The soft yet rough feeling of her ears was irresistible. He scratched at the base of her ears. She gave a small groan. He wondered how far he could take this. He stroked the inside of her ears, running his fingers through the small tufts of hair at the base. Maggie grinded her teeth in frustration. she was mortified by how much she was enjoying this. As he was harassing his friend someone came into the nurse's office. She saw Reid's hands on Maggie's ears and Maggie's red face and turned around.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Maggie regained her composure. "Velvet, come back. It's not what it looks like." She buried her good fist into Reid's face.

"Worth it" Reid said as he clutched his bleeding nose.

"Did you need something?" Maggie asked.

"My team's about to head out on a mission. I just wanted to see you before I left" Velvet said.

"Good luck, hope you get back soon" Maggie said. Velvet smiled and left to join the rest of her team.

"I didn't know you were friends with Velvet" Reid said.

"Kind of. She's nice to pretty much everyone." She thought for a moment. "Do you think I'd look better if I let my hair grow out?"

Reid laid back down next to her bed. His eyelids felt heavy. He was more tired than he thought. "Maybe. I think your hair's fine the way it is"

"If you say so. Hey Reid?"

"Yeah?"

"If you touch my ears again I'll kill you"

Reid's eyes were closed. He was on the verge of falling asleep. "Okay." He yawned again. "I love you."

There was a long silence. Maggie sat up and looked down at Reid.

"What?"

OoOoOoO

Hei Xiong was having an awful year. Between his club getting destroyed, the appearance of Roman Torchwick, and his sudden personnel problem he was up to his neck in it. That kind of stress may lead one to do things they might not consider otherwise. One of his henchmen tried his best to talk over the blaring club music.

"Those two hitters you called for, they're on the way"

Hei took a drink of brown liquor. "Good. They know who they're after, right?"

"Yes sir; Oriana Blackstone along with the rest of Team NGRO. Listen, are you sure about this? These aren't some rough and tumble assholes from around the way. We're talking about kids from Beacon. Even if this works we're gonna have the cops on one end and fucking Ozpin on the other."

Hei took another drink and crushed the glass in his hand. He grabbed the henchman by the collar. "Twenty. I lost twenty men in that warehouse. Do you have any idea what that means? That means twenty retirement packages, twenty funerals, and twenty crying mothers asking me what I had their children doing that they ended up getting blown up and hacked to pieces. I'll do what I have to do, and if Ozpin, or Ironwood, or anyone comes back at me I'll deal with them too."


	13. She Say She Love Me

"You ever wonder what the fucking point of all this is?"

Detective Cotton was looking at his open case. A bookstore owner shot point blank in the head in the middle of the day in his own shop. The store was on a busy street with plenty of foot traffic, so of course no one saw or heard anything. Detective Salt wasn't faring much better. He was trying to figure out how a young girl managed to blow a man's brains all over the sidewalk in broad daylight and get away without anyone getting a good look at her. On top of that they still weren't any closer to solving the multiple murder at the office. This year wasn't doing the department's clearance rate any favors.

"You mean life?" Salt responded.

"I mean being a cop. Think about it; you know who slaughtered all those people in that abandoned house, but he's a Hunter, which means he's off limits."

The relationship between the police and the Academies was strained at best. Due to the services Hunters provided for the kingdoms they were more or less above the law. As long as they kept their inclinations to acceptable levels the police were told to look the other way. As far as the department was concerned the ten men who died in that house didn't exist. Of course, even if they wanted to bring in their suspect neither of them were fighters. Cotton didn't even have his aura unlocked. They had no chance against a man that could kill ten people with his bare hands.

"I'm not too torn up about that, you saw what they did to that girl. Who knows how many others they hurt? How did they even get here without anyone knowing? Besides I wasn't able to get a solid lead out of the house."

One problem with Salt's semblance was that each scene was unique. Sometimes they wouldn't be completely forthcoming with information about what had happened. All the abandoned house would say was that the killer was young and incredibly powerful. It wasn't at all fond of the men that were killed and felt that informing on the one who got rid of them would be doing him a disservice. "Young and powerful" more than likely meant a Beacon student, but there was no way Ozpin would let them question a student without any hard evidence.

"That's not the point. Why are there even police if there's Hunters? Why bother working a case if the only suspect is a guy who can blow you in half by looking at you, or run from one side of the continent to the other in a second? Why even fucking do this if we're always gonna play second fiddle to those Academy pricks?"

The phone rang. Someone had found a body floating off the docks. Perfect. "Why are people so bent on killing each other if there're Grimm around? When did you become such a little bitch?" Salt got up and put on his jacket. "We all have to play the roles we're given. If you feel different you can quit."

OoOoOoO

"So you accidentally tell this girl you're in love with her, and then instead of trying to elaborate on it you jump out a window. You really go above and beyond."

Friday at lunchtime the rest of Team NGRO were consoling Reid after his rendezvous with Maggie crashed and burned. Well, Noah was at least. George and Oriana thought it was the funniest thing ever.

"Shit bro at least wait for her to turn you down before you run" George said through his own roaring laughter.

Reid laid his head down on the table. "Don't rub it in. I feel like such an asshole."

Oriana placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "At least you disappointed her early on so it would not be a surprise."

Reid groaned. He was too dejected to say anything. How could he have messed up so badly? His mind was a mess. At least Maggie was out of the infirmary, though she hasn't spoken to him all week. He didn't know how this situation could get any worse.

"Heads up" Noah said. Reid looked up and saw Maggie standing by their table. She was looking at her feet and running her hand through her hair.

"Hey" she said with a nervous smile.

Reid took one look at her and all of his anxiety vanished. "Hi" he said. The two of them locked eyes not saying a word. Then suddenly they both started laughing. It was like the past week never happened.

"It is a good thing you are both idiots" Oriana said.

"I love happy endings" Noah said.

George looked like he'd just remembered something. "Speaking of, I need something from you two." He pointed towards Reid and Maggie.

Reid raised an eyebrow. "The both of us? What could you need from the both of us?"

"Nothing major, just come with me on a double date."

Silence hung in the air.

"Why?" Maggie asked.

George grinned. "I met this girl and I'm trying to rip her panties off. She's super cute and thick as fuck. Problem is she's kind of shy, only hangs around the school. I figure if I can get her out of her shell I can get her out of her clothes too."

Maggie's face curled with disgust. "You're a pig. I'm not helping you get laid."

"Come on, she's a nice girl. And she's a Faunus, so you two should get along great. Do me this one favor and I'll never ask you for anything again."

"What's in it for us?" Reid asked.

"My undying love and affection" George said, deadpan.

"Fuck off"

"Don't be like that, I even found this nice restaurant we can eat at."

"Fine, whatever."

"Good, we can go out tomorrow."

Reid got a message on his scroll. "Shit, I gotta go." He got up and left the table.

As soon as she was sure he was gone Maggie turned to George and Noah. "I want to ask you guys something. Is Reid…okay?"

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"He talks in his sleep. Sometimes he even starts crying. I want to ask him about it but…"

George shrugged. "He's been through some shit. What kind of shit I don't know."

Noah looked curious. "What does he say when he's asleep?"

Maggie frowned. "He just says 'I'm sorry' over and over again."

"I'd keep that close for now. He'll tell you about it when he's ready."

George grinned. "More importantly, what's with you and Reid? You guys together or what?"

Maggie grimaced. That was something she thought about herself, but hearing it from George made her feel sick. "I don't know"

"Do you like him?" Noah asked.

Maggie tried to look calm, but her ears perking up betrayed her feelings. "Yeah, but after what happened I don't know what to say to him"

George shook his head. "Are you retarded or something? Just tell him how you feel."

Noah nodded in agreement. "George is right, for once. Reid isn't exactly a complicated guy. Being direct is the best option you have."

Maggie thought for a moment. "You're right. I need to handle this." she turned and walked away from the table.

As soon as she was gone the rest of Team NGRO started laughing. They didn't stop until their lunch break was over.

OoOoOoO

Reid was helping Professor Peach straighten up her classroom since she was done for the day. He figured this would be a good way to kill time, plus he liked to help out. He looked at Peach grading a stack of papers. Her desk was a mess. There were loose papers and empty dust bottles everywhere. It reminded him of his father's room. As he thought about his father he remembered that there was something he'd been meaning to ask the professor.

"How did you and Maggie meet anyway?"

"I found her on the street. She was living out of a box and I thought she was so cute I had to take her home with me." Peach replied casually.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's been five years now. Of course she's staying in the dorms now so I'm all alone again." she gave an overly dramatic sigh.

"No one else in your life?"

She started laughing. "Why? You interested?"

"Not really, I prefer people my own age"

"Your loss. I still get to see her every day so it's not too bad. I can't believe how big she's gotten." She talked like she was fawning over her child.

"You two must be really close"

"I guess you could say that. That's enough about me. Mind if I ask you something?"

"What?"

Peach took on a more serious tone. "What do you plan on doing after you graduate?"

Reid didn't hesitate to answer. He'd had the same goal since he was ten. "I'm going to kill every single White Fang on Remnant."

Peach looked at Reid. "Is that really what you want to do?"

"Yes it is. What they did to my parents, what they're doing now, I can't let that stand."

"You shouldn't let what happened control your life. You're young, you can do so much more than throw your life away on some revenge mission."

Reid sighed. "I know, but there's no other way for me. I don't have anything else."

Peach looked at Reid like he was an injured animal. A look of concern, mixed with pity. "Alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore. One last question though, did you really jump out a window?"

The bell rang before Reid could answer that question. "I'd love to answer that but we're out of time. I'll see you on Monday." He ran out the room to get to his next class.

OoOoOoO

The last class of the day was sparring. Reid wasn't able to focus on the fights. Maggie was still on his mind. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he didn't know how. After the last match ended Professor Goodwitch asked for another volunteer.

Reid raised his hand. "I want to fight her." He pointed at Maggie.

"Very well. The next match will be Reid Wenland versus Maggie Grimes" Goodwitch replied.

The two of them stood on the stage. They had trained together, but this was the first time they had a serious fight since the day they met. Reid was bristling with excitement. By the look on her face she felt the same way. He should have done this from the start. There was no need for words, he could tell her how he felt this way.

Maggie was stunning in her combat outfit. She was wearing a cropped grey tank top to show off her abs, and a pair of baggy silver colored pants. She had on a pair of black gloves with yellow lines running through them, and a pair of boots with steel plates on the heel and toe. She didn't believe in half measures.

"I've been looking forward to this" she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Me too. I hope I don't disappoint you"

The buzzer sounded and the fight began. Reid knew from watching videos of her fights that the quickest way to win was to deny her the chance to mount an offensive. He charged in and swung horizontally at her stomach. He felt his shovel catch on something. Maggie caught the blade between her elbow and her knee. She was smiling at him. Her other fist was cocked back. Reid let go of his shovel and jumped back to avoid her punch.

Maggie laughed and tossed his shovel to him. "Come on man, I saw that move already. Show me something interesting"

Reid grinned and buried his shovel into the floor. He dug one of the large stone tiles out of the floor and flung it at her. She let out a low whistle and destroyed it with a punch, losing sight of Reid in the dust and debris. She heard something swing through the air. She stepped back as Reid's shovel struck the ground at her feet. She prepared to counter but failed to notice that Reid was still moving. He pivoted over the shovel and drove his heel into the top of her head. She was sent to the floor.

"How was that?" Reid asked.

Maggie jumped up and slapped her face. A line of blood ran down her nose. "Man, I forgot how hard you can hit. Alright, I guess I can take this seriously."

She clenched her fists and they glowed bright yellow. Reid had seen this before. There was dust woven into her gloves. She wasn't nearly skilled enough to manage multiple types, but the electric type served her well enough. Her fists crackled with electricity. She threw another punch at him, faster than before. He dodged it by a hair, he felt part of his face go numb. She was relentless in her assault. Each punch was faster than the one before. Reid didn't have time to counter, it took everything just to block. The monitor showed his aura slowly being whittled down. He needed to go on the offensive. Maggie threw another punch. He pushed a button on his weapon and fired a shot directly into her stomach at the same time her fist crashed into his face. Both of them were sent flying backwards. They both stumbled to their feet smiling.

Maggie shot forward like a rocket and sent a punch at Reid's jaw. He dodged but felt something strike the back of his head. Maggie seized that opening and kneed him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, Maggie grabbed his head and drove her knee into his face. He was so disoriented he didn't see the kick to the side of his head coming. Her foot collided with him and sent him flying across the stage.

Maggie wasn't the strongest, or the fastest, or the most skilled. Even so she had two things that made her dangerous. The first was her kicks. She had spent her entire life perfecting them until her legs became lethal weapons. Reid experienced those first hand. The day they met she sent him flying into the ceiling, causing it to collapse. The second thing was her semblance. It allowed her to attack twice in one move. What looked like a single punch was actually two. A kick from the left also came from the right. It was something she had developed during her time living on the streets in order to deal with fighting multiple opponents. Even if a person knew about it dodging her simultaneous strikes was near impossible. That was just another thing Reid loved about her.

He staggered to his feet. He was on the verge of losing. He needed to end this with his next move. He drove his shovel into the ground. He leaned to the side and grabbed the handle with both hands. He was rooted to the spot, if Maggie wanted to win she would have to come to him. She was more than happy to oblige.

She charged at him. He groaned with effort and dragged his shovel through the ground to swing it at her. It was too fast for her to avoid it knocking her into the air. Reid jumped up after her. Their eyes met as he was above her. Something strange happened. It was like time had slowed down. He'd heard that this sometimes happened on the battlefield, a moment that lasted less than a second would feel like several minutes. Some say it's what it happens right before you die, your brain tries to stretch out its last remaining moments for as long as possible. Reid figured he would never get another chance as good as this.

"I've loved you since the day I met you. I love the way you smile, the way you fight, the way you bleed. Just being around you makes me happy. I never thought I would feel this way about another person. I don't know why it's taken me so long to tell you this."

He wasn't even sure if she could hear him, but it felt great to get that out in the open. He gripped his shovel, sending his remaining aura into his arm. He threw it at her like a spear, striking her and sending her crashing into the ground. She destroyed the part of the floor where she landed and didn't move. The buzzer sounded signaling the end of the match.

"The winner is Reid Wenland" Ms. Goodwitch announced. The theater was filled with the sounds of applause and whistles. Reid walked up to Maggie and grabbed his shovel. He helped her to her feet and raised her hand for the crowd.

As he turned to walk away he felt her grab his arm.

"I love you too." She walked up to him and kissed him. He felt her soft lips on his. He could smell the blood on her.

The theater erupted into even louder applause. Reid didn't hear any of it. Maggie's words echoed in his brain. He mind went blank. He tried to take a step but fell to the ground.


	14. Real Sisters

Noah sat on a bench in the park watching the presentation. Some people from the Atlas Military were showing off some new mechanical soldiers. The new ones were quite impressive. They were less jagged, and could move more freely. Noah had always been fascinated by machines. He loved taking things apart to see how they worked. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to examine these new creations.

"So are these like your cousins or what?" he asked Oriana. He had insisted on her coming with him since he couldn't bear to see her lay in bed all day. She looked at the presentation with a disinterested expression. It was easy to understand why she was less than impressed.

"You are not funny. Do not compare me to those toys. I am of a higher caliber." She was bored out of her mind. These revised Knights were the results of the data she had given to her father, though he never mentioned how he had gotten it. That was her entire life, never being acknowledged for her efforts. The only thing that made this bearable was being able to see the general.

Noah looked at the man presenting the machines. He'd heard of him but had never actually seen him in person before. "The big guy with the gray streak in his hair, that's Ironwood?"

She smiled. It was strange to look at. There was no malice or disgust behind it, it was a genuine smile. "Yes. That is General James Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas Academy and supreme commander of the Atlas Military. He is a well-respected leader, commanding the absolute loyalty of everyone who serves under him."

"Everyone except the guys who hired us. I get the feeling he wouldn't be too happy if he found out about that. Anyway, why don't you go say hi? You're part of the army too aren't you?"

She sighed. "I was, but not anymore. If he sees me I fear it may end badly for many people. I am not very popular in the military." That was an understatement. If Ironwood saw that she had been reactivated every robot on that stage would be firing at her and he'd be on the first ship to Atlas to hang the entire science team.

Noah thought for a moment. "I can tell by looking that those weren't cheap to make. How much did it cost to build you?"

"Enough to build a small nation. But I am not the most expensive soldier. Money is not the only cost in the pursuit of technological advancement."

Noah wanted to ask what she meant by that, but was distracted by what Ironwood brought out next. It was a giant robot, designed to be piloted by a soldier. It was amazing. The kind of damage you could do with that kind of machine was beyond belief.

"What I wouldn't give for one of those." He turned but saw that Oriana had left. He shrugged and listened to the general show off his machine. As long as Oriana didn't go around starting fights like George was prone to he had nothing to worry about.

OoOoOoO

Leaving the park was a wise decision. If she had stayed any longer she would have been tempted to try and talk to the general later. That would have been disastrous. She walked through the town not focused on anything when she saw a group of people running in one direction. She decided to follow them. There was a truck in the middle of the road. Its front end was caved in, and there was a large crater in the street. Oriana grimaced. That had Model 16 written all over it. She was strong, but she wasn't very smart. It was a side effect of the "special modification" she was given. All that power in the hands of a complete idiot. Oriana kept moving and saw a pair of soldiers, one red and one blue. Standing between them was a young girl with orange hair and green eyes. Oriana restrained herself. Direct contact wouldn't do at all. She opened up her communications channel and sent the girl a message.

"Greetings, Model 16"

The girl responded. "Do not call me that. My name is Penny"

"How could I forget? You get to have a name because you are _special_."

"You have a name too, a wonderful one. I don't understand why you insist on not using it."

"Only people get names. I am a machine."

"I'm a machine too. We're no different."

Oriana sounded annoyed. "You know full well that there is an unfathomable difference between the two of us."

"Why do you hate me so much? You've been like this since the day we met."

"You know why, but I see no reason to dredge up old feelings. How have you been?"

"Vale is wonderful. There are so many people. Oh, I made a friend, her name is Ruby and she's amazing. You should meet her. I know you two would be great friends."

"I will have to decline. Why are you in Vale?"

"I'm going to fight in the tournament"

"Was that your father's idea or Ironwood's?"

"The general suggested it. He said it would be good training."

"Interesting. That is all I wanted to know. Can you do me a favor? Do not tell anyone you saw me"

"Why? The general would be very happy to see you."

"Please. Consider it a favor for your sister"

"Hmmm… okay. I won't tell anyone. I hope to see you again Oriana.

"You as well Penny"

No actual words were spoken. The conversation took less than a second. The two girls passed each other on the street, neither one looking in the other's direction.

The conversation raised a few questions for Oriana. Chief among them the fact that Penny didn't seem to remember their fight. One the one hand it was a good thing that she didn't remember. If she knew about what happened she would be honor bound to report to Ironwood that she had seen Oriana. On the other hand the fact that she didn't remember meant that her memories had been manipulated. That was the only explanation. Robot or not no one would forget cutting someone's arms and legs off.

Either way the thought disgusted Oriana. Not even having a soul prevented your mind being subverted at the whims of the scientists.

As if on cue her ear started buzzing. Her father was calling.

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea the knife edge we're standing on?"

"Relax. She will not tell them anything about me. As far as I can tell she has no reason to. Were her memories manipulated?"

Her father sighed. "Yes. Having it act like a regular girl is kind of difficult if it spends all day crying over having killed someone. They went inside its brain and erased that entire day. As far as it knows you two are just a couple girls that have never gotten along."

"It is good to know that the scientists are as amoral as ever. Goodbye, do not contact me again unless it is for work." She hung up on him.

"There you are, I've been looking for you." Noah had caught up with her. He was out of breath and sweating.

"You did not have to come look for me" Oriana said.

Noah shrugged. "I felt like it. Anything else you want to do? We've got plenty of time."

"Was I not clear that my involvement with you was only for as long as we worked together?"

"No you were pretty clear on that, but I figured until we're done we should at least try to get along."

Oriana looked at Noah. His sincerity was written all over his face. "All three of you are strange, but you might be the strangest of all. Fine, I have nothing else to do"

OoOoOoOoO

Reid and Maggie met George outside the restaurant. He had his date with him. She was shorter than George, though that didn't mean much since she was six feet tall. Her wider form contrasted heavily with his muscular body. She had large breasts, wide hips, and thick arms and legs. Near the top of her head was a pair of curved horns. She gave a shy smile when she saw them.

"Hi. I'm Iris, George has told me so much about you"

Reid shook the girl's hand. "I'm Reid, and this is Maggie. It's nice to meet you." he paused. "What has he told you about me exactly?"

George went for the door. "Ain't no point in talking outside, let's go eat."

The four of them sat at a table. A waitress came by to take their order.

Reid looked at the menu. "I'll have the steak, medium rare, a bacon cheeseburger, and a plate of ribs"

"Same" George said.

"I'll have the grilled chicken" Maggie said.

"I'd like a salad, please" Iris said.

"So how did you two meet?" Reid asked Iris.

George started laughing. "So I was having some real trouble with my grades, so I figured I should try studying. Well my grades got even worse after that so I said 'fuck it' and asked for some tutoring. After that we started talking and next thing you know here we are."

"So are you a first year?" Reid asked.

She nodded. "I'm part of Team LILY."

"I don't see you outside the school much" Maggie said.

Iris looked down at the table. "I don't really like going outside. I get nervous if there's a lot of people around."

Reid chuckled. "You remind me of my other teammate, she won't even leave her bed if she doesn't have to"

Iris squirmed in her seat. She looked at Maggie. "So are you from Vale?"

"Nah, I'm from Menagerie."

Iris looked surprised. "Oh. I hope I'm making a good impression."

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"A lot of the kingdom Faunus feel that they're the 'real Faunus' and the ones that choose to live on Menagerie are 'domesticated'. I don't like those types very much."

"I've ran into those nut-jobs before, all the fanaticism of the White Fang just with less murder. So where are you from?"

"Well I was born in Mistral. I wanted to try expanding my horizons so I applied to Beacon. It's nice in Vale, everyone's so friendly."

Reid didn't dispute that. There was something about the people of Vale that set it apart from Atlas. Maybe warm weather made for warmer people.

Iris thought for a moment. "Oh, if you're from Menagerie, does that mean you know Velvet?"

Maggie shook her head. "I didn't stay long. But I do know her now. Every Faunus at Beacon knows her."

"That's so true. I'm so glad I met her. I didn't know anyone when I first got here so I was super nervous, but she helped me out."

"Being a Faunus by yourself must be rough" George said, although he looked like he didn't care in the slightest about this conversation.

Reid shrugged. "As far as that goes Vale isn't that bad. At least it's not Atlas. If you're a Faunus up there you're either White Fang or you're in Mantle starving to death."

The waitress came back with their food. They each began eating.

Maggie looked at Reid's order. "How can you eat like that and stay so skinny?"

Reid shrugged. "I get a lot of exercise."

Maggie didn't look like she believed him. Her eyes went to Iris. "I think you might be bigger than Yang"

"What?" she said. Her eyes went down to her chest and her face reddened. "That reminds me, did you really fight Yang and Pyrrha?"

Maggie sighed. "It wasn't much of a fight. I got my ass kicked from one side of Beacon to the other."

"That's still impressive. They're two of the best students in the school. Most people wouldn't even try challenging them."

"What about you. Are you any good?" Reid asked.

She shook her head. "No, my team is near the bottom of the rankings. You saw our fight with Team CHRM."

George coughed. That fight was one of the most one sided slaughters he'd ever seen. "Don't beat yourself up over that. Team CHRM is way strong. I don't think even I could take them."

"There's no need to be humble, you're really strong too. You almost beat Pyrrha, that's amazing."

"I still lost, besides that was something else. I want to fight her for real, but I'll probably wait until after we graduate."

"Why wait until then?"

"I can tell she can get a lot stronger. Besides I want a serious fight: no rules and no interruptions"

Iris frowned. "You mean a fight to the death?"

George shrugged. "If it falls that way."

Reid took a drink. "Are all Vacuans like you?"

George laughed. "I'm one of a kind."

They chatted for a bit longer when the waitress came back with the bill. George took it and looked it over. He furrowed his brow as he saw something that seemed out of place. Normally he wouldn't question it but he'd been taught to always look something over if there's money involved. He whistled at the waitress and she walked back to the table.

"What does 'additional service' mean? This wasn't on my bill the last time I was here." He said to her.

The waitress' face fell. "I'm sorry sir, I don't set the prices here."

That only made George angry. "Don't give me that who-shot-John bullshit. If you're not in charge of the prices bring me someone who is."

The waitress ran off and came back with the restaurant's manager.

"Is there some kind of problem?" he asked.

"What the fuck is up with my bill?" asked George.

"Well, in light of recent events I've needed some additional insurance for my establishment. In order to recoup the loss I need to sometimes add an additional fee to the bill."

"What the hell does that mean?" Reid asked.

"It means he's charging us more because we're Faunus" Maggie said stone-faced.

The manager smiled. "Good, I thought I would have to keep dancing around the issue."

"That shit ain't right. Why charge them extra?" George asked.

"The short answer: because I can. If you have a problem with it, feel free to call your friends in the White Fang."

That sent George over the edge. "Motherfucker!" he shouted and got in the man's face. His aura swelled around him, though the four students were the only ones who could see it. The manager had no idea of the danger he was in.

Reid immediately got between them. "Calm the fuck down. There's no need for this to get ugly."

"Get the fuck out of my way Reid" George said, not even looking at him. Reid wanted nothing more than to run as fast and as far as he possibly could. George was about to explode.

"Look at this guy. Does he look like a fighter to you? You hit him he'll be a stain on the wall."

For a brief instant all of George's anger was directed at Reid. It was like being stabbed by thousands of tiny knives.

"You think I can let this shit slide?"

Reid knew that this would end in a fight. He didn't know if he could beat George, but maybe if he hit him hard enough he would calm down.

"It's okay, really. This happens all the time. I'm used to it." George turned around at the sound of Iris's voice. She looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Maggie spoke up not even trying to mask the frustration in her voice. "Just pay the bill so we can get out of here."

Reid handed the card to the waitress. As soon as the payment was confirmed they all left the restaurant without a word. On the way out, George looked at the timetable on the door, taking note of what time it closed.

OoOoOoO

Later that night George was still angry. He looked at the time, if he left now he would be at the restaurant right as the manager was leaving.

"You gonna kill him?" Noah asked.

"Nah, just hurt him a little" George said. He was pacing back and forth in the dorm room.

"I never figured you for the activist type" Oriana said.

"I could give a fuck about the Faunus, but I'll be damned if I let someone disrespect me like that. I took Iris back to her room. I could hear her crying through the door. I couldn't fuck her after that, not today at least. I can't let this shit go, no fucking way."

Reid felt the same way. His first date with Maggie ended horribly. She said that she wasn't bothered by what happened, but there was a hardness to her voice when she said goodnight to him.

Noah looked at George. "You might want a disguise"

"Why?" George asked.

"Because if this guy goes to the cops you don't want him saying 'yes officer I know who kicked my ass it was the six-foot-ten one eyed black guy who was in my restaurant earlier today'." Noah held out his hand and a black ski mask materialized in front of him. George picked it up and tried it on. Noah made another one for Reid and gave it to him.

"See you in the morning" Noah said.

OoOoOoO

Reid and George stood over the manager. He was on the ground in a bloody heap. His right arm was bent at an odd angle, his face was swollen, and he was twitching. Reid was impressed by how well George had restrained himself.

"We about done here?" George asked.

"Yeah, I think he gets the message." Reid knelt down next to the manager. "In the future, I would look into a different billing policy." He got on his scroll and called for an ambulance. It'd raise too many red flags if he died. As soon as they heard sirens they made their way back to the dorm.

"She's a nice girl" Reid said.

"What?" George replied.

"Iris. She's a nice girl. I think you should give it another chance. You two would make a cute couple."

"Thanks. Maggie's pretty sweet too. I'm surprised you made that happen."

"Sometimes I surprise myself."

Both of their scrolls beeped. It was time for another job.

"I can take this" George said.

"You sure?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, I need to blow off some steam anyway." He clapped Reid on the back and went off to work.


	15. Hercules

As Team NGRO was heading to their next class a teacher called out to them.

"Mr. Wenland, may I speak with you for a moment?" asked Professor Port.

Reid shrugged and followed him into an empty classroom.

"Did you need something?" he asked the teacher.

Port coughed into his hand. "I understand you are in a relationship now."

Reid's face reddened slightly. He tried not to think about that day in the amphitheater. When he woke up and had been told that Maggie kissed him in front of half the school he fainted a second time. "Yeah. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Port had a large smile. "It is a wonderful thing to be young and in love. I myself had a few romances in my day. However, I must inform you that there are certain precautions you can take to ensure that your relationship does not interfere with your studies. At the end of the day we are training you children to be the defenders of mankind, we can't allow anything to get in the way of that."

"What kind of precautions?"

"Firstly, you can acquire contraceptives from the nurse's office free of charge."

Reid sputtered. "I've only been going out with her for a week"

"Many things can happen in a week. Second, if this relationship should… sour, there are many people you can turn to." He handed Reid a card with a number on it. "This is a helpline for victims of domestic violence. While I doubt either you or Miss Grimes would ever go down that path, it helps to be prepared."

"I don't think we're going to start beating on each other" Reid said. his mind went to how he and Maggie met. In a way their relationship started with an episode of domestic violence.

"I don't either. This is standard procedure at Beacon. There have been times where the staff overlooked certain problems until they became too large to solve."

Reid nodded. "Thanks anyway. To be honest this is all so new to me. I'm still wrapping my head around it."

Port looked sympathetic. "I was the same at your age. The trials and tribulations of romance can be too great for some men. If you have any troubles, don't hesitate to ask."

"Yes sir. I need to get to class. It was good talking to you"

Reid went back into the hall where his team was waiting. They didn't ask about what Port wanted, what Reid did when he was off the clock was his own business.

"I don't know about you guys, but I really like Beacon" Noah said.

"I feel you. You think when we're done they'll let us stay?" George asked. The rest of them were quiet. They hadn't thought at all about what they would do when their job was over, or if it would ever end.

"I figure if they don't have us put down when this is over then we're fine. We haven't exactly been model citizens since our release." Reid said.

George started laughing. "Kill one, kill 'em all. They can only hang you once, right?"

"That is quite an interesting way of thinking, although I cannot say I disagree" Oriana said.

As they were walking down the hallway they ran into Maggie. She was walking with the rest of her team. It was a first. Even after they had reconciled they still preferred to be alone.

"Sup, guys" she said as she waved at them.

"Hey" Reid said. "Hey Maggie, did one of the professors talk to you?"

Maggie's face turned red and she looked away from him. "No, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. So are you going to introduce your friends?"

Maggie looked behind her. "Oh yeah, I'm not used to them actually being there." One of her teammates started laughing. "This is the rest of Team MRBL. The girl built like a twig is my partner Rain, the fat bald guy is Beans, and the shifty looking one in the back is Love." Each of her teammates took offense at her description of them, but it was apt. Rain was even skinnier than Reid. She looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks. By contrast the one called Beans was on the heavier side. He was fatter than Professor Port. It was a wonder his short skinny legs could support him. The one in the back had long hair that covered his face, and he was slightly hunched over in order to frame his face in shadow. The sleeves to his shirt went down to his knees. Everything about him was suspicious.

Reid held his tongue. He remembered that despite their appearance they had seriously injured Maggie. She was no pushover, so they must be powerful to go toe to toe with her.

George on the other hand had broken into laughter. "Beans? Your name is Beans?"

"What's wrong with that?" Beans asked, chagrined.

"What's wrong is your momma held you the day you were born, looked into your eyes and decided that your name is fucking Beans. Was she smoking that shit when she had you?"

Beans hit George with a hard punch to the chest and sent him sliding backwards. George blinked in surprise, then smiled like he had just made a new friend.

Maggie stepped up to her teammate. "Calm that shit down. George just likes to get a rise out of people." He turned towards Noah. "You need to keep your guy in line, I don't want anything to happen to him."

George stepped forward and raised his fist. The sound of heels clacking on tile stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I hope you aren't fighting again Mr. Garwood." It was the all too familiar voice of Ms. Goodwitch.

George stiffened at the sound. He put his hand down. "No ma'am. I was just meeting my friend's teammates."

"Good. I would hate to have to give you detention again." The riding crop she carried in her hand was glowing. George swallowed loudly. He had seen that thing crush steel.

Reid sniffed at the air. Something smelled good. "Is that Lumina perfume?"

Glynda looked surprised. "Yes, it is. It was a gift."

"I knew I recognized that smell. They only sell it in Atlas. I tried buying some for my mom but it was way too expensive. Someone must really like you if they bought that for you."

Noah tapped his chin thoughtfully. "An Atlas man with deep pockets, now who could possibly fit that description?"

All of the students looked at Glynda.

Glynda's face went red. "In any case, you shouldn't be loitering in the halls. Get to class." she hurried off to the confusion of the students.

Noah exhaled. "Thanks Reid. Your keen sense of smell and inability to read social cues saved the day."

"What does that mean?" Reid asked.

"She has been less severe recently. I wonder if it is because the general is in town." Oriana said.

"You think they have something going on?" Maggie asked.

"That's the word on the street" Noah said.

"I thought she was with Ozpin." Reid said.

"Ozpin? Man, I bet he's got a stable of boys underneath the school" Maggie said.

"Him, a faggot? I guess that makes sense. If I had a woman like Glynda you'd need a crowbar to get me out of that pussy." George said.

"Who cares about gossip? I'm not letting this go." Beans pointed at George.

George laughed. "You got something, that's for certain. How about you show me what you can do?"

OoOoOoOoO

Their school day ended with sparring in the amphitheater, the same as every other day. But they could feel it in the air that this day would be different. When one match ended George went down to the stage without asking to volunteer. Beans went down after him. The two stood facing each other. George looked his opponent up and down and laughed. It wasn't meant as derision, he thought that Beans made for a good adversary. It had been a long time since he found someone that could stand up to him. If he played his cards right this could be a great battle. But there was a thought in the back of his mind, some part of him felt this wasn't challenging enough.

"You're pretty good I admit, but you might wanna bring your whole crew down here with you."

"Are you high? It'll be four on one"

"At least that way it'll be a fair fight."

Beans shrugged and called the rest of his team down. They looked at George with varying levels of amusement.

The monitors hummed to life and their aura levels were displayed on screen. The members of Team MRBL looked at the screen with shock. They had never seen anything like that before.

 _Maggie Grimes: 6000_

 _Rain: 5000_

 _Beans O'Keeffe: 3500_

 _Love Limestone: 9000_

Those levels were normal for people who had spent the last three years training. It was nothing out of the ordinary. On the other monitor however was something different.

 _George Garwood: 40000_

He didn't understand why they were so surprised. Anyone could reach that level if they tried hard enough. He sighed, maybe he had overestimated them.

Maggie started laughing. "Holy shit that is awe inspiring. You've got to tell me your routine."

Her other teammates seemed to calm down after hearing that. They got ready to fight.

George smiled and readied his weapons. They wouldn't go down easy.

Ms. Goodwitch coughed and adjusted her glasses. "The next match will be George Garwood versus Team MRBL." The buzzer sounded and the fight began.

The other members of Team MRBL stepped back and let Beans have the first go.

"We won't help you if things go south" Rain said with a light, raspy voice.

Beans clenched his fist and shot forward like a rocket. He buried his fist below George's armpit and he went flying. George got to his feet and held his side. There was an imprint where Beans' punch had landed. George's smile grew even larger.

"That was my fault for taking you lightly." George's weapons crackled with energy. They flew at each other and disappeared in a storm of punches. Beans had strength and was much faster than his size would suggest, but George delivered precise, powerful strikes to vital areas. Beans couldn't keep up his assault for long, and his aura was quickly burned away. George punched him across the face and the buzzer sounded signaling the end.

George took a moment to catch his breath. "Man, you're pretty good."

Beans laid on the ground smiling, too tired to speak. Rain walked up to him and looked down with amusement. She picked him up by his shirt and tossed him toward his other teammates.

George frowned. This girl looked like she could die from a stiff wind. He knew that aura could make a fighter out of anyone, but there had to be limits.

Rain seemed to know what he was thinking. "If you think I'm as weak as the fatass you'll be in for a rough time." She unfastened a large, clear bottle that was tied to her leg. It was filled with water. She put it to her lips and drained half the bottle. George felt a chill go up his spine. She began to swell up, or rather she began to look healthy. It was like she was dried out, and drinking the water turned her back to normal. She slapped her face a few times and smiled. "Man I can't tell you how good this feels." Her voice was less raspy, and slightly deeper than before. She poured some more water out of the bottle. It floated in the air and gathered into a ball. Rain scooped some up in her hand and stretched out her arm behind her back. In the blink of an eye her arm whipped forward and George was struck by something. He winced in pain, feeling a rib crack. He didn't want to burn aura healing it so he would just have to bear with it for now.

Rain grinned and unleashed a hail of water bullets. Each one hit with the force of a shotgun, her aura made them as hard as steel. George couldn't dodge, all he could do was block. It was easy to see why she was Maggie's partner. One killed you at range and the other got right up in your face. George grimaced, he didn't see any way out of this other than using his semblance, but on top of requiring a lot of aura it would mean that he couldn't win without using a crutch.

 _Fuck it._ His body glowed green and he didn't feel the water bullets anymore. The ground beneath him exploded in the wake of his advance. He closed the gap between him and Rain in an instant. She fired another water bullet at him in desperation. He punched right through it, reducing it to a puff of steam. His fist kept going, colliding with Rain's slender fingers. It took all the aura she had left to keep her arm from breaking. George hit her with another punch. She flew out of the ring as the buzzer signaled her defeat.

George groaned with frustration. She didn't know it, but she had won that fight. He hated his semblance. It was useful in the field but in a fight it just felt like cheating.

The man called Love was up next. He was still as slouched as ever, and his face was still hidden. "I'll be straight up with you. I'm the weakest guy on the team. I don't think you'll enjoy this very much." He had a much deeper voice than one would expect.

"You never know" George said. He was cautious with this opponent. He was obviously putting up a front.

Love ran at George and swung his arms at George's chest. George put his arms up to block and felt something cut him. It wasn't like when he fought Pyrrha, this felt different. He looked and saw droplets of blood on the ground. In his entire life George had never backed away from an opponent, but there was something telling him to keep his distance. He looked at the monitor, according to that he had 15000 aura left. Blocking those bullets took a lot out of him. He looked back at Love. As far as George could tell Love didn't have anything woven into his clothes. George only felt the cloth of his long sleeves against his arm, but he'd still been cut. No, putting that aside even if there was a hidden weapon it shouldn't have been able to cut through his aura.

Love didn't give George any more time to think. He swung again. George stepped back but was stopped by something wrapping around his neck. He didn't see anything there but felt his airway constricting. If he couldn't figure out the opponent's attack he'd pass out. He shook his weapons off and let them fall to the ground. He grabbed Love's sleeves and felt nothing. That was strange. He tore them off and would have gasped if he could breathe.

Love had no arms. Rather, his arms ended at the elbow. There were metal caps on the stumps. While George appreciated that he lived in a world where even cripples could make for good fighters he wasn't any closer to figuring out how to solve his predicament.

He focused his aura around his eyes. He could see Love's light gray aura. It extended past where his arms ended and coiled around George's throat. George had never seen anything like that before. He stepped forward and punched Love in the face. He stumbled back and George felt the pressure on his neck fade away. He rubbed his neck and greedily sucked in air.

"What in the fuck was that? Was that your semblance?" George asked, incredulous.

Love shook his head. His hair had fallen to the side and George was able to get a look at his face. The right of his face was badly burned. The flesh near his jaw was mostly stripped away, and what remained had melded with his teeth. "Shaping your aura is something anyone can do. I never found out what my semblance was. I told you, I'm weak." He hung his head in sadness.

George touched his neck. There were welts where Love's aura had touched him. "I've never seen that before. You gotta teach me that."

Love's aura shifted and changed to a pointed shape. George was impressed. That would explain how he was cut. George dodged a flurry of slashes. He could feel tiny cuts on his chest, stomach, and neck. He was bleeding and running low on aura. He found himself in a state of elation. He wanted this moment to last forever. Love had sweat running down his face. He couldn't keep this up much longer. He brought his arms together and a large sword of aura manifested. He wanted to end it with his next attack. George grinned and focused his aura in his fist. The two attacks collided. There was a sound like glass shattering and Love fell to the ground. He had run out of aura, but George wasn't faring much better. Between the blood loss, his low aura, and his various bone injuries he was ready to keel over. He was breathing heavily and his vision was blurry, and there was still one more opponent to go.

Maggie walked up to Love and hoisted him over her shoulder. She walked him to the edge of the stage and laid him down next to his other two teammates. "You're not weak at all. You need to stop beating yourself up." She went back up to George. "You really are a monster. Those guys aren't weak, but you're on another level." Her ears wiggled with excitement.

George had seen her fight before. She was no pushover. He would need to go full tilt right from the start. George punched at Maggie's face. She dodged by a hair. She countered, but George avoided it and nailed her with a cross counter. She had the power, but George outranged her. She ran at him. George attacked, but she ducked under it and sprang back up to deliver a devastating kick under his chin. George stumbled back. He was seeing stars. Her kicks were nothing to sneeze at, a few more of those and he was done.

George clenched his fist and focused his aura. His fist shined with green energy. He charged at Maggie, intending to end this fight with one blow.

Maggie's ears stood straight up as her eyes widened. She delivered a kick to George's head. George felt her foot strike him, then two more. In the heat of battle her semblance had reached a new level. Now she could attack three times at once. George's fist kept going and hit Maggie right in the chest. That punch was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like getting hit by a bus. She was driven into the floor and laid there wheezing. She couldn't move. After that attack she had nothing left. If George attacked again the fight was his.

The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the match.

"The winner is Team MRBL" Ms. Goodwitch announced.

Maggie stumbled to her feet and walked up to George.

"You're the real deal. That was insane." She grinned at him.

George didn't respond. Maggie was confused. She looked closer and saw that George's eye was unfocused. He had lost consciousness. Maggie didn't know if happened before or after he had thrown his last punch. Before any of that, she couldn't help but feel like she got lucky. If her semblance hadn't evolved in the fight she would have lost. She groaned with frustration. He had fought three strong opponents beforehand, and after all that he still had enough to beat her in one hit.

Maggie wanted to scream. Her team won, but nothing about this felt like a victory.


	16. FeFe On The Block

Team NGRO traveled through the city. Most of them anyway, Oriana didn't want to leave the room. Noah decided that they were to spend their Saturday as a team. Although none of them had any idea what to do.

"Maybe a movie or something?" George said. He looked bored. Ever since his fight with Team MRBL he'd doubled up on his training. How could he hope to stand at the summit if he was still so weak? If it weren't for Noah's insistence he'd be out in the forest.

"I don't think there's anything good out right now" Reid said. He had wanted to spend the day with Maggie but after her fight with George she planned on training with her team all weekend. He probably wouldn't get a chance to spend time with her until the dance, and that's only if she even wanted to go. She didn't seem the type to wear a dress.

"For a city this size there really isn't a lot to do" Noah said. Maybe Oriana had the right idea. Spending his day off wandering around looking for something to do didn't appeal to him in the slightest.

As they kept moving they noticed that there were more kids from other schools around. The Vytal Festival wasn't until the end of the school year, but most liked to arrive early to scope out the competition. George looked around and didn't see anyone that looked strong, but he thought there was something familiar about one student. He walked up to a girl wearing the uniform of Shade Academy. He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around.

"Can I help you?" she asked. This girl was short, with light tan skin and dark purple hair. She was wearing a black beanie with one side pulled down to cover her left eye.

"Wanna ask you something. You from Vacuo right?" George asked. The girl nodded. "Good, you know who's running Greystone these days?"

The girl shook her head. "I wouldn't know, I'm from Riverside" 

"That means you with Brick Squad. Shit, I put down a couple of boys from that crew a long-ass time ago."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Are you GSK? I thought they were all dead."

"Was. No one left but me."

"Those were some real savages. Shame to see them gone. Maybe we'll see each other in the tournament, see whose set's better."

"Well we both already know the answer to that question"

They laughed and parted ways.

"What was that about?" Noah asked.

"Old shit. Doesn't matter" George said.

"We're gonna get something to eat. You in?"

"Sure"

"Have you noticed there's a lot more police out lately?" Reid asked.

The other two looked around. There were uniformed police doing patrols all around, and posted on every other corner were people that looked like soldiers.

"Probably beefing up security. Vale's had a bit of a crime problem lately" Noah said.

They were going up the street when all three of them froze. There were people in the city who did not belong. The power they exuded was greater than anything the three of them had ever felt. It was an ocean of murderous intent pointed directly at them.

"Hey you guys, think you could help me with something?" it was a woman's high pitched voice.

The three boys looked at the woman. She was slim, with a bubblegum pink bob cut. Her eyes were green, with heart shaped pupils. She had a sword at her hip. This woman was odd. Next to her was a large man wearing sunglasses and a white surgical mask. They were professionals. They had masked their presence until they had found their targets, and opened the floodgates in order to intimidate them. It worked.

"What did you need?" Noah asked, sweat breaking out on the back of his neck.

"We're looking for a girl, name's Oriana. You know where I can find her?" the woman asked. She was enjoying this, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. How about you tell me who you are first"

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Flare, and the big guy is Pudding. Don't worry about him, he doesn't say much. Now then, you think you could tell me where I can find Oriana?"

"That depends, what're you going to do when you find her?"

"Nothing much." Flare held out her hand, her finger and thumb shaped like a gun. "I'll just go pop." She pointed at the air. "Pop." She pointed at Noah.

"Move!" George's sudden shout startled his teammates. The three of them jumped far from where they were standing.

Flare smiled. "Pop."

She had missed her targets, but she made her point. There was a person who had been walking in front of Noah. They were nothing more than an innocent bystander. The air around them shimmered, and where once there had been a person was now only a pair of feet. It was like they had been swallowed up. A few streaks of blood were on the ground. People around started screaming and ran. Immediately the two assassins were confronted by the police. Ten officers had their guns trained on the duo.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Reid shouted at the policemen. He could tell that none of them were powerful enough to survive this encounter

The girl called Flare pouted. "I missed. Pudding, be a dear and take care of these pests."

Pudding nodded. He brought his hands together and a crackling ball of dark red energy appeared. One of the officers pointed his gun at the large man. In response he threw the ball at the officer. It passed through him, destroying everything between his ribs and his waist. The thick smell of scorched flesh hung in the air. The cop fell to the ground in halves.

The other officers fired their guns at him. The bullets bounced off his skin like pebbles. Without aura they might as well have been shooting bits of paper. The man moved swiftly and methodically, his hands passing through the officers like a hot knife through butter. In less than a minute the street was littered with corpses.

"Well, this is a little more than what we were asked to do. Oh well, life is like that sometimes." Flare had a large smile, like a kid who had just gotten a new toy. "Let's take care of these three first, we can get the girl later."

Pudding chose Noah as his first target. He ran at him and sent a punch directly to his heart. Noah projected multiple thick shields. Pudding broke through all of them and struck Noah. Noah felt his ribs crack. That punch had an obscene amount of power behind it. Undeterred, Pudding sent another punch straight at Noah's head. Noah didn't have time to make another shield, so he ducked and tried to block with his arm.

That was a mistake. There was a sound like something being crushed. Indescribable pain shot through Noah's body. His teammates gave him horrified looks. Noah saw a bloody pile of flesh on the ground.

Noah's right arm was gone. Not broken, gone. It was a bloody stump that ended just below the shoulder. He fell to the ground screaming and clutching his injury. Pudding stood over him about to destroy Noah's head with his foot. George appeared and sent a hard punch to the man's face, sending him backwards. George grabbed Noah by his remaining arm. He took a deep breath and threw him as far as he could. Wherever he ended up he'd be safer than he was now.

The man called Pudding rubbed his nose. His dark sunglasses and mask obscured his face, but George could tell that he was smirking at him. He wanted to get angry, but losing his cool in this situation would only get him killed.

Pudding sent another ball of energy at George. George deflected it with his hand, but it took much more effort than he thought it would. The ball was heavy, and there was a burn on his hand where he had touched it.

 _Not even my semblance works against that huh?_ George thought. He was almost happy, he didn't think he'd meet a third person who could beat his semblance. Well, when he thought about it there were only two now.

George's semblance wasn't anything flashy, it just hardened his body, amplifying his already high defense. Of course it wasn't invincible, it had two major weaknesses. The first being that it was possible to harm him if you could exceed his damage threshold. The second being that it couldn't defend against raw aura. There were few people who could completely invalidate George's semblance, and he was lucky enough to meet two since he had come to Vale.

Flare pointed at George, but found Reid in her face. He was unarmed, and his punches easily deflected by her. She struck him in the chest with her palm and sent him through a shop window. He was on the ground in a pile of broken glass. He groaned and stumbled to his feet. The shop owner ran to him to ask if he was okay. Reid looked outside and saw Flare pointing at him. Reid wanted to save the owner, but he barely had enough time to move out of the way. The air shimmered again, and half of the owner's body was gone. Reid could see the inside of his skull, and his intestines fell out of him. The smell made Reid nauseous. He jumped back into the street and attacked again. He figured he could at least buy time until a teacher came.

Flare looked bored as she easily dodged and parried Reid's attacks. "I can't believe he paid this much for someone as weak as you. This is kind of insulting." She grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground. She drew her weapon, a long, thin blade. She went to stab Reid, but something large crashed into the ground where she was standing. A cloud of dust was kicked up. She could hear something cutting through the air. She blocked with her blade. When the smoke cleared Reid was standing in front of her, his shovel in hand. He had used his scroll to call for his locker when he was in the shop. He swung down at her head, much faster than before. She blocked with her sword and the ground beneath them broke.

Flare grinned. "Maybe this won't be so boring after all." She stabbed at Reid, her blade separating into segments. Reid jumped back to avoid it. Flare pointed at him. Reid panicked and fired his shotgun, the force sending him further away. There was curve in the ground where the air had shimmered, about five feet across.

 _That's it_ Reid thought. He ran back towards Flare. He needed to stay close to her. Her semblance was powerful, but it had a weakness. She couldn't control the size, and judging from her unwillingness to use it when he was close by she wasn't immune to its effects. That was one problem solved. However, he was no closer to winning. She was caught off guard by his weapon at first, but now she was blocking his swings as easily as she had blocked his punches. She could kill him any time she wanted, and they both knew it.

"What's wrong? Is this really all you've got?" she asked as she sent her sword through his shoulder. Reid cried out in pain. He needed to think of something to turn the tide.

At the same time George wasn't faring much better. His opponent simply outclassed him. He was just as strong, but much more skilled. Creating a ball with your aura was the most basic technique there was, but this man had refined it to the point where it became an incredibly powerful move. George on the other hand failed every time he tried it. His aura was much greater than average, but his control over it was poor. On top of that Pudding hadn't used his semblance yet. The existence of an unknown factor put George on edge. He was up against the wall with no way out in sight. George grinned, he was worried his time at school had made him soft.

George charged his fist and struck Pudding in the stomach. He frowned. Something was wrong with this man's body. It was one thing to have high defenses, but his body felt unnaturally tough. More troubling however was the fact that he had completely ignored George's punch. He didn't put all of his aura into it, but he still should have felt it.

Pudding sighed. "You don't excite me at all." He had a pleasant sounding voice for such a hard looking man. "You need to hit me harder than that if you want me to feel it." He punched George in the chest. George felt something crack and he spat blood. A second punch was speeding towards his head. He ducked under it, and sprang up with an uppercut to the chin. Pudding didn't move. He rubbed his chin. "That's more like it. You keep that up and maybe I can enjoy this." George winced, his hand was sore. This man's body definitely wasn't normal. It was like punching solid steel.

The punch knocked Pudding's glasses away. He looked at George. His eyes were completely black.

"Shit. You're a Faunus?" George asked. Pudding nodded in response. George wanted to scream. "God damn it. I hate fighting Faunus. Last time I fought one of you people he pulled two extra arms out his back. Nearly cut my fucking head off."

Faunus only have one visible trait that gives them away, but they also have secondary abilities that come from their animal nature. Some can see in the dark, others have heightened senses. Whatever this man was, it made his body incredibly tough. George threw his hands up. "Fucking perfect. That means nothing less than a fucking cannon is gonna get through you. Oh well, no use bitching. Either I win or I die, same as it ever was."

He charged his fists and unleashed a flurry of punches. Pudding walked through them and prepared to attack. In that moment George sent a finger towards his eyes. Pudding dodged, a small grin on his face, and sent a sharp hook into George's stomach. The impact lifted him off the ground. George threw his arms up before another punch sent him flying through a wall. He could use his semblance to guard against Pudding's physical attacks, but if he used another aura technique he was fucked. George got back up and leapt out into the street.

Meanwhile Reid was locked in a stalemate. Flare needed a hand free to use her semblance, but as long as Reid kept up his attacks she needed both hands on her sword. He couldn't think of a way to turn the tide.

Flare looked at Reid as their weapons were locked together. "You know, you're kind of cute. Maybe I'll take care of you last so we can have some fun."

Reid laughed. "Sorry, I'm already seeing someone." This wasn't working. He needed to gain any kind of advantage. Reid racked his brain to think of something, but only found one answer. It wasn't one he liked. He thought about his parents, about the day of their funeral, and about his uncle Paul. He thought about Maggie, and the very real possibility that he may never see her again. Then he stopped thinking. He attacked again, much faster than before. Flare looked shocked as she brought her sword up in time to block. She was sent sliding back.

"That was something. Maybe-." Her taunting was cut short by Reid's continued assault. His attacks didn't let up for a moment. He was faster, and stronger as well. She stabbed through his other shoulder. As the blade passed through him his shovel struck her head. She was sent flying, still holding on to her sword. She sprang to her feet in time to avoid Reid crashing down on her. The two of them disappeared into a storm of sparks and blood.

George felt a chill go up his spine. He hoped that sinister aura he felt was Reid's. His opponent hesitated when he felt it. George took that opportunity to charge an attack. If physical attacks were no good he would try an aura attack. He brought his hands together and summoned more of his aura. It took the shape of a ball before sputtering and exploding in his hands. George was knocked to the ground, his palms smoking.

Pudding started laughing. "Did you seriously try a move you don't know in the middle of a fight? You must be crazy." He picked George up by the neck. His fingers dug into him. "You've got potential. Another three or four years and you'd be unstoppable. I almost feel bad having to take you out." George raised his arm and touched Pudding's chest. He made another ball of aura, this one exploding as well. Pudding grunted in pain and dropped George. The smell of burnt flesh was in the air.

"You little shit" Pudding shouted, enraged. He unleashed on George, pummeling him with his fists. George felt the blows rain down on him. He was too disoriented fight back. This wasn't fun for him anymore. If this kept up he'd die. He tried to think of something. He looked at Pudding. The spot where he'd been burned was near his heart. If he could strike there he could win. The problem was piercing his body. George couldn't think of a way to do it. A fist crashed into George's face. George saw a bloody tooth fly and his vision grew blurry.

 _If I could use that aura ball thing I could win, but it keeps exploding. I need a way to keep it contained. Keep it contained…. That's it!_

George activated his semblance. It was only for an instant, but it was enough to buy a couple seconds. That's all he needed. He brought his hands together and summoned his aura. His palms crackled with energy, much more than he had used before. George poured everything he had left into this.

Pudding frowned. "The same thing again? What makes you think it'll work now?" Pudding lunged at George, intending to finish him.

George didn't move. Pudding's fist was inches away from striking him. The ball of green energy that appeared began to fray and sputter the same as the last time. This time however, George closed his fist. His aura engulfed his hand, it felt like it was on fire. George drew his hands back, and thrust a fist through the wound on Pudding's chest. Pudding spewed blood. George's fist protruded out of his back. He'd been pierced through. George removed his hand with a squelching noise. Pudding stumbled and felt the gaping hole in his body.

"Not bad" was the last thing he said before he fell over dead. George fell next to him. He couldn't fight anymore. Even if he could stand that last attack had broken his arm. A white bone stuck out of his forearm. The skin on his hand had come off. He was done. As he fell unconscious he hoped that Reid would be able to win his battle.

Flare felt Pudding's life fade out. She didn't have time to grieve since she was too busy with her own battle. Something was wrong with this kid. He was bleeding all over, he had several broken bones, and the skin on his palms was stripped away from swinging that shovel around. Yet he kept attacking. Being stabbed didn't slow him down at all. It was like he was on autopilot. He avoided fatal attacks by the thinnest possible margin and kept on the offensive. Anything else he just took. It was like he didn't feel any pain at all. On top of that he was strong, and had stamina. It was like every wound made him hit harder.

Flare grimaced. Her sword wasn't built for this. There were cracks in the blade. She needed to end this soon or she was done. She stabbed at his neck. He dodged by a hair and struck her in the face. She was sent away from him. Her nose was bleeding. She growled in frustration.

"That's it" she shouted as she pointed at him. The boy seemed to sense what was coming. He leaped into the air and fell towards her. As he came down his blade came down as well, taking off Flare's arm at the elbow. She watched her bloody arm fly through the air. Reid didn't stop. He slashed Flare across her body, tracing a line from her shoulder to her waist. She gasped in shock and looked at Reid. She looked into his empty eyes and felt a slight tinge of pity. "Fuck kid, what did they do to you?" she said before she fell to the ground dead.

Reid looked at his shovel. He saw the blood on the blade, and on the ground. The body on the ground was his doing. He had killed someone again. It was so he and his teammates could live, but he'd still taken another life. He sighed and closed the woman's eyes.

"Well done. You are much stronger than I imagined."

Reid turned toward the voice. It was Oriana. She looked around at the carnage and grinned. "You two do not do things halfway"

"Where the hell were you?" Reid asked angrily.

Oriana answered calmly. "Getting Noah to a medic. Did you know these scrolls give out live readings of our vital signs? Noah went critical and I came to see why. He was sprawled out in the middle of the street missing an arm. I got him to the nurse and by the time I came back you had taken care of things"

Reid wanted to ask if she would have helped if she had come earlier, but he knew she wouldn't have. He went back to where he had dropped his scroll. Noah was stable, but George was fading. He needed attention soon or he wouldn't make it. He took a step towards him and felt pain shoot all through his body. He couldn't take another step. He fell to the ground and blacked out.


	17. Memories Back Then

Reid liked gardening with his mother. There were very few places in Atlas where you could find good dirt, which is why his mom bought a house with a garden even though it was on the expensive side. He started off helping her dig holes for the plants, but after a while he was rolling around in the dirt the way he always did. His mother finished up and saw him playing around. "All that playing must have made you hungry. Go wash up and I'll make us some lunch."

"Okay" Reid said. After he was done bathing he went to the kitchen. There was a plate of sandwiches on the table. He bit into one and frowned.

"Mom, what did you put on this?"

"Mustard, just how you like."

"This is mayonnaise"

Her face reddened. "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me make you another one"

At a glance Jade was indistinguishable from a regular human. Growing up her parents had told her that her colorblindness was just a genetic defect. She had accepted that story without questioning it, but when her son was born with a tail she was forced to confront the fact that she was a Faunus. She fared better than most in her position. Usually the only job a Faunus could get in Atlas was as a miner or a janitor. She had secured her position as an accountant for the SDC long before her race became known, and she was far too valuable to the company to fire.

She made Reid another sandwich, making sure to read the label on the condiment jar. Reid sniffed at the air and ran towards the front door smiling.

"Dad's home" he said, his tail wagging rapidly.

His father walked through the door. Reid ran and jumped at him. John caught Reid in his arms and hugged him. Reid sniffed at his father and grimaced. Something burned his nose. He fell to the ground clutching his face. John laughed and stepped over his son to go to his wife.

"How was work?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Nothing major, just more protestors."

"That's nice, as long as nothing happened." She looked at Reid writhing on the ground. "Tear gas?"

John's large grin answered her question.

Jade frowned. "I told you to shower before you come home if you're using that stuff."

"Sorry, I was in such a hurry to see you that I forgot." He sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. On the news was a story about the rising tensions between the Faunus of Atlas and the Schnee Dust Company. The camera panned over a crowd of protestors before a group of uniformed security guards broke them up. One in particular seemed to enjoy beating protestors quite a bit. He swung his club with vigor, and laughed at a horned protestor bleeding on the ground. John turned the TV off and stretched out.

There was a knock at the door. Reid answered it. Standing outside was a slim man with long black hair and small brown eyes.

Reid smiled widely. "Uncle Paul!"

The man leaned down and patted Reid on the head. "Hey little pup."

Jade smiled. "Hello Paul. What brings you here?"

"Do I need a reason to see you guys?"

"Yes" John said. "What is it?"

Paul sighed. "I just got word from my guy in Mistral. I don't think things are going to get much better. This new guy they've got running things, he's not talking peace. He wants blood, and every day there are more people agreeing with him."

The air was heavy for a moment.

John sighed and looked at his wife. "This is gonna be a little heavy."

Jade nodded. She turned toward Reid. "Reid, honey. Do you want to go outside for a bit?"

Reid's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

Reid put on his coat and grabbed his mother's hand and the two of them went out into the city.

The two of them walked through the city seeing the people go by. Everyone walked like they were in a hurry, paying zero mind to anyone around them. That was normal in Atlas. The people were as cold as the weather.

"So, is there anywhere you want to go?" Jade asked.

Reid thought for a moment. "I'm hungry"

"Didn't you just eat?"

"Yep. I'm hungry again."

Jade smiled at her son and looked for a restaurant. She found one she ate at all the time with her husband. As she walked through the entrance she was immediately stopped by a doorman.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I must ask you to take your business elsewhere."

Jade looked confused. "What's wrong? I eat here all the time."

"Yes well, our customers expect a level of decorum at this establishment and we must do everything we can to meet those expectations." His eyes went to Reid, staring up oblivious as his tail swished back and forth.

Jade turned around and left without a word. This was to be expected. She never thought about it in the past, but Atlas was not kind to Faunus. part of her couldn't help but feel this is a fitting punishment for how she lived until now.

The other restaurants she went to weren't nearly as subtle as the first one. Each one had a large sign next to the front door that read "No Faunus." as they walked she could see the stares, hear the whispers. She saw police move their hands closer to their guns when they saw her son. The glares people gave her bored into her soul.

Jade ground her teeth in anger. She was angry at this city for how it treated its people, but she was angrier at herself for being blind to it for so long. "How about we eat when we get back home?"

Reid nodded.

The two made for home. The sight of the chagrined tears running down his mother's face would stay with Reid for the rest of his life.

OoOoOoO

Reid woke up in a bed. The first thing he noticed was the smell of antiseptic. He was sore all over, and his head was spinning. He couldn't complain, at least he was alive. He felt bandages all over his body. He looked over and saw George sleeping in the bed next to him. His arm was in a cast and his hands were wrapped in bandages. Reid also saw Iris sleeping in a chair by George's bed. Reid looked to his left. Noah was also asleep, his arm wrapped up.

"You're awake. How are you feeling Mr. Wenland?" it was the nurse. She looked Reid up and down. Reid squirmed. He felt like she was looking right through him.

"I've been better. How long was I out?"

The nurse looked at a clipboard. "You have been asleep for three days."

"Three days?" Reid almost shouted.

"I'm surprised it wasn't longer. You three were very badly injured. You had multiple bone fractures in your arms and legs as well as several large cuts on your neck and chest area. If your teammate didn't get you back here you would have bled to death. Mr. Garwood had multiple broken bones along with internal bleeding. His hands were badly burned, and his right arm suffered a compound fracture. As for your leader, he tied off his arm with a length of wire to stop the bleeding, although I have no idea where he got it. He suffered a concussion when he hit the ground. He should be fine with some rest."

"Man. Wait, how did I get back here?"

"Your teammate Oriana carried you and George. She is quite strong for such a small girl."

Reid felt relieved. Despite the animosity between them she wouldn't just leave them to die in the street. He tried to get out of bed and felt a stabbing pain run through his body.

The nurse put a finger on his forehead and looked into his eyes. "You are not going anywhere yet. You can leave that bed when you're fully healed."

Reid tried to protest, but felt incredibly tired. He drifted off back to sleep.

OoOoOoO

"here's how we gon' do this: I walk up, snap one. First guy drops, second runs up the block and you tear his ass up. You got that?" Butta asked.

"Yeah, I got it" George said. He was eight years old and on another job. It was simple, there were only two people. He didn't ask why the needed to die, he wouldn't make that mistake a second time. Butta clapped him on the shoulder and got into position. George went up the block and waited. A couple minutes later he heard two gunshots. Butta was done. He heard someone running. George got in front of him and activated his semblance. He threw out a low kick.

The man's leg broke and he fell to the ground. He pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at George. George walked toward the man unfazed. The man fired at George, the bullet bouncing harmlessly off of his forehead.

George got on top of him and punched at his head. With each punch the man's face grew more and more deformed until his head was a red stain on the sand covered ground. Butta walked up to George and laughed.

"Damn son. You know we got guns right?"

George shook the blood off of his hands. "I hate guns." He pulled out his scroll and took pictures of the dead man as proof.

"Whatever. Let's get back home, I'm fuckin starving."

They got back to the base where the rest of the crew was waiting. It was an empty building they had repurposed as a hideout. It was completely derelict. There was no power, no running water, and no food. The entire city was like this. It used to be a settlement for miners, but once the mines dried up and the workers left the entire area collapsed.

"How'd it go?" Lem asked.

Butta started laughing. "You shoulda seen George. Dropped that fool like it was nothin'."

"Wasn't nothin'. Just doin' what I needed to" George said.

Nene walked up to George and put an arm around him. "Either way, I'm glad you made it back."

"Yeah. What else is goin' on?"

Something heavy was in the air. "I'm going to see the boss" Nene said. She was the leader of their little group, but she still took orders from the head of the gang. At first the kids made their money by selling scrap they recovered from the abandoned mines. However a group of children with no one backing them were easy prey for the less scrupulous people of Vacuo. After a failed run that ended with several of their group dead Nene made the decision to join one of the larger gangs in the area. The Greystone Killers had a reputation for their brutality, and no one was free from working, not even children.

"I'm goin' with you" George said. Cheddar, the gang's leader, was a hothead and a junkie. He had a habit of lashing out at his subordinates when his temper got the better of him, which is something George had experienced firsthand. And then there were his tendencies toward young girls. The thought of Nene being anywhere around him made George sick to his stomach.

Nene looked concerned. "Are you sure you want to?"

The scar on George's chest ached. "Yeah."

She sighed. "Alright, just try and keep your head down, okay?"

They went to their boss' lair. They found him like he usually was, surrounded by young girls. None of them looked older than fourteen. He wasn't high like he usually was, which meant he was in the middle of disciplining one of his workers. Sure enough when they entered there was a man on his knees begging for mercy.

"Boss I'm sorry. I just needed to hold somethin' for a few days. The money's all right here." He held out a wad of bills.

A gangly looking man slapped the money out of his hand. "What, I'm supposed to take that? You take my money and I'm supposed to let that slide and you go tellin' all a Remnant that I'm some bitch you can rip off no problem?"

The man's eyes widened with fear. "Nah man it ain't like that."

"You broke rule number one: do not steal from me"

The man on the ground started to beg. "No, come on man. All you gotta do is listen! "

The man's hand grasped a sword that didn't exist. He swung it and the groveling man's head parted from his shoulders. Blood sprayed along the ground. Two girls grabbed his body while another took his head.

"Take it out to the desert. Let the Grimm get some use out of him"

His eyes went towards George and Nene. His smile sent chills up George's spine.

He threw his arms around the two of them. "Well, I haven't seen you two in a month of Sundays. I take it your job is done?"

Nene nodded and handed Cheddar a scroll with pictures of the two dead men. Cheddar whistled. "I can always count on your crew for quality work." He gathered up the scattered money on the ground and handed it to George. "Get yourself something nice."

George didn't say a word. Cheddar acted friendly, but there was no telling what might set him off. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his forehead glistened with sweat. George hated that he was still so afraid of this man.

Nene waved goodbye. "Pleasure doing business with you." she and George turned to leave when they heard a girl screaming. George turned around and saw a young girl on the ground clutching her wrist. Her hand had been cut off.

Cheddar glared at the girl. "Don't walk in front of me. Stupid bitch." he stomped the girl on the head and stormed off.

George ran to help the girl, but was stopped by Nene. She shook her head.

"Don't bother. That's what happens to the weak."

Those words echoed in George's head. He wanted to protest, but he knew she was right. If the girl was stronger she could be something other than a harem girl.

But at the same time, George couldn't help but think that if he were any stronger he could be something other than a killer.

OoOoOoO

George grumbled as he woke up. The lights stung his eye. He yawned and stretched his arms. Or he tried, one was wrapped in a cast. His hands were wrapped in bandages. He could hear the steady beeps of a heart monitor and Noah's loud snoring.

"Welcome back Mr. Garwood" said the old nurse with a smile. "You have been asleep for five days. If you're waking up now it means that you're well enough to leave"

"Cool" George said. He looked to his side and saw Iris sitting in a chair asleep. "How long she been there?"

"She came by every day to see if you were awake. She would spend every free second waiting at your bed. She must care about you quite a bit."

George didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand it was normal for a girl to be concerned for her boyfriend, and he did appreciate how much she cared about him. On the other hand he didn't like how much of himself he saw in her. She clung to him because she was weak. He was the same way around Nene. He shook his head and looked at his sealed arm. "My arm's feeling better."

"Wonderful" the nurse said. She motioned for an assistant who came with a small circular saw. "Just a moment and we'll have that off you"

"No need for all that." George concentrated and his cast exploded off him, sending bits of plaster everywhere. One piece struck Iris on the head. She jumped out of her chair in surprise.

"Yes, professor!" she shouted. She looked and saw people staring at her. Her face reddened and she looked at the ground.

"I just woke up. Can you calm it down with all that noise?" George asked.

Iris gasped in surprise. She threw her arms around George and held him tightly. "You're awake! I'm so glad you're okay. I thought you'd be asleep for another week." Her horn bumped George on the head.

George pinched her nose. "I'm not that weak, and didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

"That hurts!" Iris said.

George let her go and got out of bed. He unwound the bandages on his hands. Underneath the skin on his right hand was covered in burn marks. He found moving his hand much more difficult than before. He grinned. This was further proof of his strength. He had faced impossible odds and overcome them yet again.

He figured Noah needed more time, but no way was Reid more injured than he was. He walked up to his bed and slapped him awake.

Reid got up and punched George in the face. George smiled at him. "Guess you're feeling better."

Reid gave George an angry look. "Asshole." He looked at the door to the nurse's office. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" George asked.

"Sounds like people arguing"

George strained his ears. He could hear people talking just outside the door.

"I cannot allow you to interrogate my students"

"They're not under arrest, we just want to talk to them"

"You can't possibly think they had anything to do with that"

"Look, we've got ten officers and multiple civvies dead and those kids were in the middle of it all. We just want to know why"

"I understand, but as of now they are in no condition to speak with you"

George opened the door. Standing outside were Ozpin and Professor Peach. Next to them were two older men wearing suits. George didn't recognize them, but figured they must be police.

"Can I help you?" George asked.

"You should be resting" Peach said.

"Who can sleep with all this noise?" he turned to the two men. "I don't believe we've met"

The older of the men stepped forward. "I'm Detective Cotton, this is my partner Detective Salt. We're with the Vale Police Department. We just want to talk to you about what happened."

Reid looked annoyed. "Our leader gets maimed, we almost get killed, and you want to get up in our shit?"

The other detective stepped in. "we just want to know why you were targeted. I imagine you want the same thing."

George shrugged. "No skin off my ass. Let's go somewhere we can talk."

They found an empty classroom. They sat in chairs and watched one of the detectives pull a folder out of his coat.

"We did some digging on the people who attacked you. They were professionals from Mistral, not the cheap ones either. The girl, Flare Meeks, was wanted for several murders throughout Remnant. She had no qualms about using her semblance in public, and developed a bit of a reputation. Her partner on the other hand is a total mystery. Pudding is just the name he goes by, no one knows his real one. No one knows his history either. As far as we can tell he just popped up one day and made a name for himself in the underworld."

"All that hype and they still died" Reid said.

George snickered, but stopped when he saw the professors staring.

The detective cleared his throat. "In any case, those two specifically targeted your team. Do you have any idea why?"

Gears were turning in Reid's head. The most likely explanation was that someone had realized what his team was doing in Vale and wanted to put a stop to it. Or maybe a relative of one of their victims tried getting some payback. Either way he couldn't let the police reach that conclusion.

Reid shrugged. "I don't think I've done anything that would make people want to kill me. I'm a nice guy."

"Hiring those two wasn't cheap. You must have stepped on some very big toes to get them sent after you"

"I don't know what to tell you. I don't make a habit of making enemies, that's George's thing."

George didn't respond to that. He looked as if he was deep in thought.

"Is there something on your mind?" the other detective asked.

George sighed. "I got a good idea why they were in Vale. Probably looking for me."

"Why would they be after you?" Peach asked.

"reason why I never said what I was doin' before comin' to Vale. I was in a gang. I did a lot of bad shit. I stole shit, hurt people, killed people. Not a life that makes you many friends. Word must have got around that I was still alive, maybe someone decided to fix that."

"You were in a gang?" Ozpin asked. The unnatural calmness in his voice put George on edge.

"More or less born into it. Joined up when I was seven. Not that it was up to me, man puts a gun to your head and says roll with him you don't say no." He hadn't expected the reactions that statement had gotten. Peach looked like she had come to a realization about something, Ozpin had a small frown, the two detectives looked horrified, but Reid didn't react at all. He looked almost sympathetic.

"That explains a lot actually" Reid said.

"They had you killing people at seven?" Cotton asked.

"It was either that or go hungry. That's what it's like in Vacuo. Besides it's not like I could say no." He lifted up his shirt exposing his scar. "Got that when I was eight. Boss asked me to kill a guy and like an idiot I asked why."

"What happened to the rest of your gang?"

"Dead."

"What about your boss?"

"Dead"

"Did you kill him?"

"No, but I wish I did"

The two detectives went for the door. "Thank you for your time. If we learn anything new we'll call you." the pair left and the room was quiet.

"Guess it's time to pack my bags" George said.

"Why?" Ozpin asked.

"Shit, I can't stay here and put the other students in danger. What if someone else comes after me? Besides, I wouldn't want someone like me in this school."

Ozpin put a hand on George's shoulder. "What happened in your past is just that, the past. I can tell you've made great strides since then. I would be doing you a great disservice if I allowed you to leave now."

George smiled. "Thanks. If we're done here, we've gotta catch up on our classes." George and Reid left the room.

"So how much of that was true?" Reid asked as they walked down the hallway.

"Enough" George replied. "You okay?"

Reid raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I've been doing this shit my whole life, but I don't think you're built for it. Tell you the truth you worry me sometimes. I've seen what happens to guys like you and it ain't pretty"

"What do you mean 'guys like me'?"

"Good guys. A lot of the kids I grew up with couldn't handle the life. Some of 'em turned to the bottle, some of 'em turned to the needle. The ones that still couldn't take it went out into the desert and let the Grimm take 'em. I don't wanna see you go through that."

"I've been in it this long haven't I? You don't need to worry about me."

"Yeah, you right." Reid couldn't tell a lie to save his life. George recalled all the nights he found Reid crying in his sleep. Whatever had happened to him in the past had affected him greatly. He also noticed Reid's hesitation towards killing. He needed to find a way to take his mind off of what happened. "Hey, look at this." George pulled his scroll out of his pocket and pulled up a picture.

"What?" Reid asked. He took the scroll from George and looked at the picture. It was a picture of Iris with her shirt off. She had a nervous smile as she photographed her bare breasts in the mirror. Her pink nipples stood out against her pale skin.

Reid couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What is this?"

"Well they're called titties, most women have them."

"You fuck. Why do you have this, and why did you show me?"

"She sent it to me. And why wouldn't I show it to someone. I've got more you know. There's one with my dick in her mouth, and another with-."

Reid cut him off. "You make me sick." He stormed off angrily.

George started laughing. "That takes care of that"


	18. Fugazi

The man sat at his desk filling out the various forms that had been laid out before him. The life of a colonel in the Atlas military was far duller than he imagined.

Someone knocked at the door before entering. It was his partner. She looked incredibly irate.

"IS there something wrong?" he asked her.

The woman threw two files on his desk. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked angrily.

The man was confused. "Meaning of what?"

She picked up one file and held it in front of him. "This is the file for Noah Pyrite, the two-bit conman who you let out of prison and sent off to do god knows what." She held up the other file. "And this is Noah Pyrite, the two-bit conman who drank himself to death in Mantle three years ago."

The man looked at the two files. One was of a seventeen year old convict, the other was of a dead man in his mid-forties. He raised an eyebrow.

"That certainly is interesting."

The woman was furious. "I agreed to your insane plan because I thought you had it under control. This isn't control. You've let loose some kid who we know nothing about. What were you thinking?"

The man was nonplussed. "Calm down. The plan is going fine. If it weren't we'd be hanging from the gallows right now. You've got nothing to worry about. Even if this Noah isn't who we thought he was he's still a good worker. In a way we lucked out finding him."

After seeing the woman calm down the man went back to his work.

"Bandits" the man said.

"What?" the woman replied.

"That was my first idea, grab some bandits and put them to work. Obviously that never made it past the planning stage."

The woman was dumbfounded. "In what world would that be a good idea?"

The man laughed. "Exactly."

OoOoOoOoO

Since Noah was feeling better he decided to go see a movie. He heard this latest one was a laugh riot that was fun for the whole family. He bribed the guard to get around the theatre's "No Singles" policy and went through the door. As soon as he walked in he ducked as a falcon swooped down from overhead. A theater employee apologized profusely and directed it back to the falconry. Noah shook his head and walked to the ticket clerk.

"One for 'My Wife's Son" he said. The clerk drooled and made strange moaning noises, but handed him a ticket. As Noah went to the concession stand he heard the theatre alarms go off. Someone had tried to sneak past the height sensors, but was below the limit. He was dragged off by security and sent to do hard labor in the popcorn mines. Noah chuckled to himself. "When will they learn?"

He walked to the concession stand and ordered a bucket of crab legs. He'd save money by using his semblance to make his own anvil.

"Careful, they're hot" the concession clerk said.

Noah went to find a place to sit. He sat in the middle. In the row in front of him was a family with two kids. He looked behind him toward the back of the theatre. On one side were the designated Faunus seats, on the other were the seats for the Bronze Subscribers. Noah projected an anvil and hammer and began to eat his crab legs. Before the movie there were three hours of advertisements. Noah could barely hear them over the sounds of scrolls ringing, people hammering their crab legs, crying children, and shrieking falcons. After the ads ended a voice crackled over the theatre PA system.

"Please rise for the Vale National Anthem"

Noah stood, though he couldn't remember the words. The other patrons screeched as loudly as they could. When they finished the theatre broke into applause. Noah sat back down as the movie started.

It was a grainy black and white film. It opened with a young boy waking up and going about his day. He kissed his mother on the cheek and went out into the forest near his village to hunt for food. He spent most of the day in the woods. When he came back he found his village destroyed. It had been attacked by bandits. In the center of the group was a woman with long, unkempt black hair. It almost looked like feathers. She was wearing an ornate white mask that was covered with various markings. The boy attacked the woman with a spear. She easily dodged it and ran the boy through with her sword. The boy fell to the ground bleeding. The woman chuckled with amusement at the fact that he had survived her attack. She hoisted the boy over her shoulder and carried him off with the rest of her tribe.

A few years later that same boy joined the woman on a raid. He swung his sword and cut down man, woman, and child alike. It was all the same to him. When they had finished the bodies of the slain were in a pile in the middle of the village. One of the bandits sprinkles some red Dust on the bodies and lights them on fire. In minutes the pile is just a black scorch mark on the ground. The boy looks at it and laughs.

He had settled into his life as a bandit. He traveled with the tribe from one village to the next. Some willingly gave up their money, livestock, and women to the tribe. Others chose to fight back, and were wiped out. The boy was happy with his life, but in the back of his mind he wanted something more. One night he asked his leader why they needed to kill so many.

"Because the weak don't get to choose how they die" was her response.

He thought for a long time about what she had said. If the weak weren't allowed to die as they chose, then what did that say about him who wasn't able to choose how he lived? He certainly wouldn't have become a bandit if it were up to him. He wanted to be someone else, anyone else. One night the boy decided to take his life in a different direction. He left the camp and wandered. As he walked he felt things leave his mind. His name, his past, what he looked like. He threw it all away. He wouldn't need it anymore. He intended to start over from zero.

Noah didn't understand the movie at all, but found it strangely engrossing. He was rooting for the boy. He wanted to believe that he could change.

An usher tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a black plastic pistol. Noah had been selected to be the designated theatre shooter. He sighed, he was enjoying the movie. He stood up and pointed his gun at the person in the row in front of him. He pulled the trigger and sprayed the man's brains all over the seats. The theatre erupted in applause as Noah gunned down the patrons. After he had killed most of the people in their seats theatre security burst through the door. Noah's time was up. He put the pistol to his head and fired.

OoOoOoO

The heart monitor was the first thing Noah heard when he woke up. He stretched and yawned as he looked around. He was the only one in the nurse's office. At least that is what he thought at first.

"Welcome back to the land of the living" Oriana said, smirking at him.

There were a brief few seconds where Noah didn't remember why he was here. He then recalled losing his arm, George throwing him, and passing out upon hitting the ground. He looked at his right arm. It was a bandaged stump. He groaned loudly.

"Judging by the fact that I'm not dead I'm guessing George and Reid won?" he asked. Oriana nodded in response. "How long was I asleep?"

"It has been seven days. To be frank I thought the fall had left you brain damaged. I guess I am not so lucky"

"You know you love me." he lifted up his arm and examined his injury. "Man this is gonna suck. Think you could help me out?"

Oriana unwrapped the bandages around Noah's arm. In time his stump was exposed to the air. The stinging pain made Noah wince. "Alright, time for the hard part" he said.

"What do you mean?" Oriana asked. Noah didn't answer. Instead he donned a look of intense concentration. His arm was engulfed in his gold colored aura. Bones sprouted from the stump, hanging loosely in the air. Flesh formed around the bones, and tendons connected the joints. A layer of skin appeared over the exposed muscle. His upper arm had regenerated.

Oriana was shocked. "How did you do that?"

Noah's face was covered in sweat. "My semblance. As long as I know how something's made I can recreate it. I've done this before, but never a whole arm. Usually it's just a couple fingers."

"You have done this before?"

"Yeah. My left hand, my face, a few of my organs. I've had to recreate them a few times."

Oriana looked thoughtful. "They say that a person's semblance is a reflection of their soul, a summation of who they are. I wonder what kind of life you have led to awaken to such an ability"

Noah shrugged. "Fuck if I know. I remember living in Mantle for a few years before getting arrested, that's about it."

"You do not remember anything?"

"I remember enough. I know my name is fake, and so is my face. Beyond that I couldn't say word one about what I was doing before I came to Mantle. It doesn't matter either way. It can't be that important if I forgot about it."

"Is anyone else aware of this?"

"Not really. No reason to tell Reid and George, and those two from the prison wouldn't care either way as long as I get the job done. Alright, time for the forearm." He repeated the same process as before. A nurse walked in as he was adorning his bones with muscle and fainted. Once the skin was on he got out of bed and helped her to her feet. "Sorry about that. It's not very pretty to look at." Noah looked at his arm. All that was left was his hand. "That's gonna take all day. I'll do that tomorrow."

OoOoOoO

After he grew back his hand Noah called the rest of his team to the training field. He spent a week in bed and needed to get back in shape.

"What happened to your arm?" Reid asked.

"I got better" Noah said. "Here's the deal: I want all three of you to attack me at once."

George started laughing. "Why?"

"I need to get back in the swing of things. Spent too long stuck in a bed."

"Not to be rude, but you're not the most athletic. I don't want to hurt you" Reid said.

"It'll be fine. Let's get to it."

All of them attacked Noah. He dodged their attacks easily. He'd never been able to do that before. Something had changed in him. It was like his body knew how to move properly. He wasn't even getting tired like he normally did. Of course, dodging was one thing, taking a hit was another thing entirely. He let George punch him in the stomach. Noah was sent flying and lost consciousness. Reid and Oriana started laughing.

"You were doing pretty good for a while" Reid said.

George hoisted Noah over his shoulder. "Let's get back to the dorm. Got a lot of shit to do this week."

As they walked out of the training field they didn't notice that Oriana didn't follow them out. She stood by a wall with her hand to her ear. Her father had contacted her again.

"Listen, I've got a supply drop for you later tonight. I figure you need to re-up. Also, regarding that thing we talked about, I heard Ozpin is gonna start sending you guys out on missions soon. That's as good a chance as any."

"Yes, father. I am looking forward to it."


	19. Mean And Vicious

"People are staring at us" Oriana said. She looked around the cafeteria and could see other students looking in her direction and whispering to each other.

"Word spreads fast I guess" Noah said. He didn't care either way what rumors spread about his team. As long as they didn't end up back in jail he was cool.

"Fuck 'em. They want some they can come get it" George said. He had his scroll out and was blasting the most vulgar rap song any of them had ever heard.

 _Put cha dick. In her mouth. Gimme head. 'Til I'm dead._

 _Put cha dick. In her mouth. Gimme head. 'Til I'm dead._

 _Put cha dick. In her mouth. Gimme head. 'Til I'm dead._

 _Put cha dick. In her mouth. Gimme head. 'Til I'm dead._

Reid ground his teeth in frustration. "Maybe they'll stop staring if you turn that fucking music off. No wonder everyone from Vacuo is crazy if that's all they listen to." He hated George's music. It was almost always a man rapping about selling drugs, killing people, and doing unspeakable things to women. On top of all of that George insisted on playing it as loudly as possible at all hours of the day. None of them knew it was possible for a scroll to be that loud. Every beat shook the table. Maggie was sitting next to Reid, her hands over her ears and a pained expression on her face. "Look at Maggie, she's gonna go deaf if you don't turn that off."

"Buy her some earplugs"

Iris tapped George on the shoulder. "Um, do you think you could turn that down? It's hurting my ears."

George looked annoyed. He grabbed Iris by the cheek and pulled on it. She cried out in pain as he turned the music off. "That reminds me, I wanna ask you something."

Iris rubbed her face. "What?"

"Want me to train you? I been looking at some of your old fights and you really suck."

Iris didn't try to argue. She was without question the weakest member of her team, if not the weakest student at Beacon. The only student ranked lower than her was the leader of Team JNPR. In every fight Team LILY was in every enemy immediately went for Iris, forcing her teammates to protect her and costing them the match. She didn't fare much better in solo fights either. Her official record at beacon was one victory and twenty-four losses.

"You could be a little nicer to her" Maggie said.

George shook his head. "Nice gets people killed. Let me ask you, would you trust her to have your back in the field?"

Maggie didn't answer his question. That told George everything.

Iris fidgeted in her seat. "We're almost at the end of the second term. Do we have enough time?"

"Sure, I'll give you the same training I got. You won't be as good as me but in three days you'll be good enough to put up a fight."

"Three days? Isn't that a little quick?" Noah asked.

"It's all I need." he turned toward Iris. "Now, if you agree you can't back out. You understand?"

Iris nodded. "Okay. If you think it'll help."

George got up and stood behind iris. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. "Cool. Meet me in the forest after lunch." He grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed. Iris cried out and pushed him away. George left the cafeteria, his laughter echoing through the room.

The other students stared at George before turning their gazes toward Iris. She put her head in her hands.

Once George was gone Maggie turned to Iris with a confused look. "I do not understand what you see in him."

Iris sighed. "George can be a bit… abrasive, but he's nice once you get to know him"

"No he isn't"

"No, he isn't. But there's something about him. I love the way he laughs, how he gets angry, I love the really sad look he has on his face when he thinks no one's looking. I especially love how he… never mind." She turned bright red and put her hands over her face.

"I guess it takes all kinds" Oriana said.

"Different strokes to rule the world and all that" Noah said. He looked at his scroll, lunch was almost over. "Come on, let's get to our next class."

As Noah and his team were leaving the cafeteria they were stopped by a student. He was the same height as Noah, with straight dark blue hair. He had a smile that sent chills down Noah's spine. It was the look a hungry animal had when looking at food.

"You're Noah right, from Team NGRO?" the student asked.

"Yeah. You need something?" Noah said.

"Did you really fight off two trained killers?"

"I didn't do much of the fighting, but yeah."

The student's eyes widened along with his smile. "That is so cool. You're only first years and you're already making waves. You might even be as strong as Team RWBY."

"What happened with them?" Reid asked.

"Didn't you hear? They fought a wanted criminal piloting a giant robot in the middle of the highway. I hear Yang punched it so hard it exploded."

"I've been hearing some impressive things about that Yang girl." Noah said.

"Yeah. Everyone's saying the Vytal Tournament is just a toss-up between her and Pyrrha."

"It makes sense, they are the top two first years. Then again, I think my teammate is stronger."

"His name is George right? I've been hearing a lot about him too. I think he could surprise everyone if he entered."

"I guess. What was your name again?" Noah asked.

"Oh, I'm Schwarz. I'm the leader of Team SALT. Maybe we could fight together sometime."

"Maybe."

OoOoOoO

George and Iris stood in the forest. The wind blew around them, and they could hear Grimm off in the distance.

"This place is good" George said. He looked at iris. She had a large double headed axe with a lavender blade. She looked nervous as she watched George flex and stretch in front of her.

"Come at me" George said.

"What?" Iris asked.

"I want you to attack me. I need to see what I'm working with."

Iris nodded and attacked George with her axe. She was much faster than her size would suggest. He parried the blade with his hand and she swung again. George looked at Iris. She had a good stance, and her weapon worked well at combining her strength and her weight. Her attacks slowly grew faster. Eventually dodging them required his full attention. He decided to test her. Her axe came rushing toward his head. He didn't move and waited for it to hit him. The blade stopped a hair short of his face.

George raised an eyebrow. "You know in a fight you actually have to hit someone."

Iris put her head down. "I'm sorry. I've never really liked fighting."

"Why'd you even come to Beacon then?"

"My dad. He said I needed to learn how to stand up for myself. Said I was too… passive."

"He was right."

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"You're plenty strong already, and you've got a good weapon. Your problem is your lack of a killer instinct. If I can fix that, you'll be a better fighter."

"How are you going to fix it?"

"Same way they fixed it for me." he paused for a moment. "You're not pregnant are you?" Iris shook her head in response.

"Good" George said. He concentrated his aura around his right fist. Before Iris could ask what was happening he charged at her and buried his fist into her stomach. The force sent her airborne and she crashed into the ground.

Her midsection was on fire. She curled up into a ball and vomited blood. Tears were streaming down her face as she clutched her stomach.

"First step is getting used to pain. Once you know how it feels to get it, you'll learn how to give it"

She coughed and spat out a glob of blood. "I can't do this, I'm sorry"

"Yes you can. The hard part is over with."

"I can't do it. I just can't"

George sighed. He wondered if he was this bad when he was training. "You think I'm enjoying this? I'm doing this for you. Forget surviving out in the real world, how are you even gonna graduate if you can't even fight? You wanna spend the rest of your life like this; curled up in a ball crying?"

Iris stopped crying and wiped the tears from her eyes. She got back up and raised her weapon. Her eyes were full of determination. "Please, continue"

George smiled at her. "I knew you had it in you."

She attacked him again. In time the forest was filled with the sounds of combat that lasted well into the night.

Several hours later the two fell down onto the cool grass to catch their breath. George was berathing heavily. He hadn't expected Iris to give him such a good fight.

"See, what'd I tell you? You can throw down with the best of 'em."

Iris was sore all over. Everything hurt, but the blow to her stomach was still the most painful thing she had ever gone through.

"You were right. All I needed was a little push." She spat blood onto the grass. Never in her life did she think someone would take an interest in her like this. She was used to standing in the background, not a bother, but not useful either.

George laughed. "I'm right more than I'm wrong. Still, this is only part one. Next we can do some strength training, then more sparring. I'll figure out the rest later."

Iris sat up. "Thanks. It means a lot that you're taking the time to help me."

George shrugged. "Ain't like I got shit else to do. Besides I can't stand seeing weak people. I might as well use what I've got to help you get a little stronger."

"What do you mean?" Iris asked.

George sighed. "People always told me that if you're weak then gettin' shit on is the only thing that can happen to you. I've seen it myself. Good people just tryin' to live getting ripped apart. Saw a man get shot dead middle of the day just cause someone felt like doin' it. Didn't do shit to no one, just had the bad luck of bein' around the wrong people. I see someone like you, all helpless and shit, I wanna see if I can lift 'em up a little. It's not like you can stop me helping you anyway." George sighed. "Sorry, got a little sidetracked."

Iris leaned over and kissed George on the cheek. "You're so kind."

George looked away from her. "No, I'm not." He got back up. "Ready for round two?"

Iris tried not to laugh at the embarrassed look on George's face. "What's wrong? Wouldn't it be good if more people knew how nice you are?"

George ground his knuckles into the sides of her head. "You say the dumbest shit, you know that?"

Iris held her head and groaned in pain. "I take it back. You're really mean."

"I can be a lot meaner if you want me to. Let's get back to it."

OoOoOoO

Three days later the other members of Team NGRO were eating lunch. George hadn't come back yet. When he said "three days" none of them thought he meant he'd be gone for three straight days.

"Wonder what they're doing" Reid said.

"Whatever it is they should be done today" Noah replied.

"I don't think it was a good idea to let her go off with him" Maggie said.

"You do not need to worry. George is a savage, but his strength is genuine. If Iris can obtain even a fraction of his power it will be for the best" Oriana said.

Noah smirked at her. "Wow that almost sounded like a compliment."

They chatted about nothing for a while, when a student none of them had met before came to their table.

"You guys are Team NGRO right? Do you know where I can find my partner?"

The student was a tall, thin, and tan girl with a long black braid that went down her back. She had a tattoo on each hand of a flower.

"I wouldn't know. Who are you?" Noah said.

"I'm Lotus, leader of Team LILY. I'm looking for my teammate, Iris. It's been three days and I haven't seen her. Last I heard she was with you people." Her disdain for them was written all over her face.

"She went with one of our guys for training. We haven't seen either of them in a while though" Reid said.

"Look, I don't care what you people do on your own time, but if it's interfering with my team I can't have that."

"I don't know what to tell you. If we see them we'll let you know."

For a second the entire cafeteria was quiet. Then it was filled with the sounds of shocked gasps and murmurs.

Oriana perked up and looked around. She got a small smile on her face. "I think we will be seeing them soon."

"What do you mean?" Reid asked. He sniffed at the air and smelled something strong. It smelled like a mixture of blood, sweat, saliva, and other bodily fluids. He put a hand over his nose. "What is that? It smells disgusting."

"Sup guys" George said. He looked different. His glass eye was gone and he had a large scar on the right side of his neck.

"Where have you been?" Noah asked.

"I told you I'd be out in the woods. Anyway I did what I said I would, you're now looking at a bona-fide warrior."

"Who?"

George stepped to the side. Iris was standing behind him. She smiled at them. The others winced looking at her. Her face was a covered with bruises. She had a black eye, a busted lip, and bruises on both sides of her face. Her nose was caked with dried blood, and the tip of one of her horns had broken off. Her uniform was torn at the stomach. There was a huge purple bruise there, with smaller ones covering her arms and legs.

"Hi" she said.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

George had a proud smile. "I told you I'd help her get stronger. We did a bit of light sparring, some strength training. Basic stuff."

"How did she end up like that from light sparring?"

"There was a lot of sparring"

Iris looked down at her feet. "To be honest I don't think I've improved that much."

George put an arm around Iris' neck and squeezed. "What kinda shit is that? Quit sellin' yourself short."

She flailed helplessly. "You're hurting me!"

"I'm not seeing much of a difference" Reid said.

George laughed. "Take her lightly if you want. I won't make that mistake again." He pointed to his now empty eye socket.

Lotus stepped up to George indignantly and poked him in the chest. "Where do you get off disappearing with my teammate?"

George tried being friendly. "She said she wanted to be stronger so I helped her. You should be thanking me."

Lotus just got angry. "You don't decide how I run my team, and you definitely don't disappear with my partner for three days without telling me."

"She has a point" Noah said.

George shrugged. "She's back now isn't she?"

Lotus let out a frustrated sigh. "You don't get it do you? I am her leader, if she wants training she can come to me."

George stopped smiling. "She could have, but she didn't. She didn't come to me either, I had to twist her arm. Let me ask you this, did you ever offer to help her, even once?"

Lotus stepped back and looked down. Her fists were shaking.

Iris walked up to Lotus and took her hand. "It's okay. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it."

Lotus looked remorseful. "I'm the one who should apologize. I've been neglecting you this whole time."

Iris smiled. She was missing a tooth. "Well, we've got four years to make up for it."

Lotus seemed to relax. "Alright."

"All's well that ends well, now both of you take a fucking shower" Reid said.

OoOoOoO

After a thorough shower George went to his teachers to find out what work he needed to make up. The last one was Professor Peach. As he walked in her classroom she was grinding a dust crystal into powder with her hand. She looked incredibly bored.

"What's up?" George asked her.

"Nothing important. Did you need something?"

"I came by to see what work I missed."

Peach handed him a list of assignments to make up and went back to grinding up dust. She sighed and looked at her watch. George couldn't stand seeing her like this.

"If you got nothing else to do, wanna go a few rounds?" George asked.

She instantly perked up. "Sure"

They had sparred for a bit, by the time they were done they had destroyed most of the classroom.

Peach looked at George on the ground and laughed. Though he still wasn't any closer to beating her he was a bit stronger. The dull pain in her right arm proved that.

"You've gotten better." Peach said.

"I've been practicing" George replied.

Peach looked around the room. There were craters everywhere and most of the desks had been destroyed.

"I am not looking forward to Glynda bitching at me again. Anyway thanks for that. I've been bored out of my mind lately" Peach said as she sat back down at her desk.

"I thought you teachers stayed busy" George said, tearing off his tattered shirt. He goes through at least three a week.

Peach looked at George's body. In addition to the large scar he had when he came to Beacon there were several new ones. There were multiple small cut marks from his fight with Love, what looked like bullet wounds from his fight with Rain, and a small scar from a broken rib caused by the man that attacked him in the city. Each one was a testament to his strength as well as his foe's.

"Not lately. All the teachers are doing chaperone duty for the dance this weekend, and after that most of the first year students are getting sent on missions. They won't be back for a while so I've got nothing to do most of the day."

George looked confused. "A dance? That's the gayest shit I ever heard."

Peach laughed. "It was Ozpin's idea. Something about 'letting the students enjoy their youth while they can'. Fuck if I can tell what that man's thinking half the time."

George shook his head. "That's some suspect shit. But wait, you say we're gettin' sent on missions?"

"Yeah, although I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to tell you about that. Oh well."

"what are we gonna be doin'?"

"I don't know, you'll have to find out on your own."

"A'ight, it was good talkin' to you." George turned to leave the room. As he was leaving Peach looked at his tattoos. She always wondered what they meant.

She called out to him. "Hey George, what do those tattoos mean?"

George paused. She beat him, which meant she was entitled to one question. He sighed. "Easiest way to tell where someone's from in Vacuo is their tattoos. The hands mean that I'm from Greystone. They're stretched out like someone beggin' for mercy. They usually do that right before they catch a bullet."

"That's…. interesting. What about that heart?"

"That was for my friends, got it after they passed. "

Peach wanted to ask about the writing, but figured she shouldn't push it. "Okay, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too" George said before leaving the room.


	20. Fiesta

Thursday night Maggie was laying in her bed staring at the ceiling. She was thinking about what she wanted to do this weekend. She wanted to take her relationship with Reid to the next stage but didn't know how to tell him. She put a pillow over her face and groaned loudly.

"Man if you're that hard up just tell him." Beans said. He didn't care either way but found his leader's frustration amusing.

Maggie threw a pillow at him. "What, I should just walk up to him and say 'hey baby, wanna fuck?' I don't want to ruin this."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Rain rasped. Love sat at the foot of her bed while Rain ran a brush though his hair. The two of them were an odd looking couple to say the least.

"He dumps me and I end up all alone again and I end up dropping out and living on the street."

Love sighed. "You're overthinking it. Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. I spent weeks worrying about how Rain felt about me, but in the end the only thing I could do was talk to her. In any case I doubt Reid would reject you."

Rain gave a laugh that sounded like the rustling of dry leaves. "Maggie's never been good at communicating, remember?" she leaned forward and kissed his cheek

"Still can't believe I missed you two getting together" Maggie said.

"Well you do miss a lot when you avoid your teammates" Love said. Maggie's ears drooped.

"Why don't you ask someone for advice? Maybe Professor Peach can help you" Beans said

Maggie shuddered. "I don't want to think about that conversation." Trying to talk about something like that with a woman who was practically her mother was out of the question. She sighed. "I just don't want to screw this up. I've never had someone that felt about me the way Reid does."

"You could try asking another student" Rain said.

Maggie threw her hands up. "Who? I don't know anyone here besides you guys, and Velvet's gone."

"You could try Yang. I hear she has men in rotation."

"I don't want a harem, I want Reid. Besides that's just a rumor." She pounded her hand with her fist. "Wait, there is someone I can talk to." She grabbed her scroll and called a student. "HI. It's me, Maggie. I need to talk to you about something important. Okay. Meet me on the roof. Bye."

She got up and left the room, hoping that that person could help with her problem

OoOoOoO

Maggie stood on the roof of the dorm. She paced back and forth waiting for the person she called to show up. She heard the door to the roof open up and turned toward the sound.

"Hi. What did you want to talk to me about?" Iris asked Maggie. She had on a pair of black and white spotted pajamas and her hair was unkempt like she had just woken up. The moonlight reflected off of her horns. Maggie looked into her big, honest eyes and knew she had called the right person. Iris wouldn't steer her wrong.

Maggie fumbled over her words. "There's no easy way for me to ask this, so I'm just going to come out and say it."

Iris yawned. "What is it?"

"Have you and George had sex?"

There was a long, painful silence. Iris looked like all the blood in her body went to her face.

"w-what?" she sputtered. "Why would you ask me something like that?"

"I'm sorry, I see you and George together and you look really close and happy and I just wanted to know."

Iris looked like she realized something. "Is this about you and Reid?"

Maggie nodded. "I want to take that next step, but I'm not sure how."

Iris smiled at Maggie. "Reid is a nice boy. You two are lucky to have each other."

"Thanks. I'm not sure how to tell him that I want him in that way."

Iris frowned. "There's nothing to it but to do it. That's what George says."

"Can I ask you something else? How did it happen between you and George?"

"Well I had decided the day we started dating that I wanted him. I mean look at him. One night we were studying together and it just happened. He was so… gentle. I was surprised considering how he usually is."

Maggie turned red. "I… I've never done it before. I have no idea what to do. Could you give me some advice?"

Iris took Maggie's hands and smiled at her. "You don't have to worry. You should just take it easy your first time. Sex is all about communication. Try and find out what he likes, and tell him what you like. Don't be afraid to explore each other's bodies. Oh, don't try things you see in porn, you'll just hurt yourself."

Maggie nodded. "Anything else?"

"Tell him to wear a condom. If he doesn't want then it's not happening. I doubt you want to get pregnant. But, above all else the two of you should just try and enjoy yourselves. Once you get a feel for what you like it's a lot of fun."

Maggie wrapped Iris up in her arms. "Thanks. You really helped me out."

Iris returned her hug. "Don't worry about it." she yawned. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight"

"Good night."

OoOoOoO

"Is it the weekend yet?" Reid asked no one in particular. The next day he and his other teammates spent their lunch break trying to figure out how to spend the weekend.

"What are you so anxious for?" Oriana asked.

Reid was beaming. "I've got a date. I've spent all week planning it. We're going to the movies, then out for dinner, maybe spend some time in the park too."

"And then what?" Noah asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do after that?"

Reid thought for a moment. "I don't understand."

George looked frustrated. "Are you gonna get it in or not?"

Reid rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Maggie about that."

Noah shrugged. "I say go for it. Worst thing that can happen is she turns you down."

"I don't know."

George sighed. "Stop being such a pussy. If I put that much effort into a date I'm damn sure gettin' some."

Reid laughed. "The fewer parallels that can be drawn between me and you the better"

Noah pulled out his scroll and dialed a number. He tapped the side of his neck a few times, and when he opened his mouth he sounded exactly like Reid. "Hello, I'd like to make a reservation. Top floor suite. All weekend. Name? Reid Wenland. No, thank you." he hung up and looked at Reid. "Don't say I never did anything nice for you."

"What was that?" Oriana asked.

"That's called an executive action. I saw my teammate in trouble and as leader I felt I had to take charge of the situation." His voice had gone back to normal.

Reid didn't seem to mind. "Who did you call?"

"The Vale Grand Hotel" Noah said, like it was nothing.

"Isn't that really expensive?"

"Yeah, but it's not like we can use the money we earn for much else."

"Now you got no excuse" George said.

"Whatever. Thanks anyway" Reid said, though there was a slight smile on his face.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. As they went down the hallway they saw Iris and Maggie standing by a wall talking furtively.

"Wassup. Haven't seen you all day" George said.

Iris flinched at the sound of George's voice. "Nothing's up. I was just talking to Maggie."

"What about?"

"None of your business" Maggie snipped.

George looked at Maggie and at Reid. He connected the dots and grinned at Reid. "Make sure you wrap your shit up"

Before anyone could ask what he meant he grabbed Iris by the arm and walked away with her.

"Next class I want you to volunteer."

"Why?" Iris asked.

"I wanna know if I wasted my time on you. Besides I know you want a rematch with Team CHRM."

"You think I have a chance?" she asked, almost hopeful.

"I dunno. I know you can't do worse than last time. You're a hell of a fighter, and I think it's time you showed everyone"

"Alright."

OoOoOoO

Like always the day ended with group sparring. The amphitheater was buzzing with the excitement of the crowd. There were only a few weeks left before the end of the second term. Since most of the students would be shipped out within the week this was their last sparring class before the start of the Vytal Festival. For some teams this would be their chance to establish dominance. For others this would be a good opportunity to gauge the strength of their future opponents.

Glynda called for order. "Let us begin. Do I have any volunteers?"

No one in the crowd raised their hand at first. A low murmur went through the room. A girl stood up and volunteered.

"My team would like to fight" Iris said, her eyes filled with a confidence no one had ever seen before. She and the rest of her team made their way to the stage. Lotus and Iris stood tall. The other two, Lala and Yasmin looked nervous. They had no idea what was going on.

"Very good" Glynda said. "Is there anyone in particular you would like to fight?"

Iris nodded and pointed towards a student. It was a young looking boy with white hair down to his shoulders. He was Corona, the leader of Team CHRM. He smiled at her and went down with the rest of his team.

The two groups of students stood face to face. Corona looked tiny compared to Lotus and Iris. Corona's partner Hachi held an empty bow in her hand. She looked excited. The other two, Radcliff and Moona, looked bored. They had already stomped this team once before and didn't see any point in doing it a second time.

Corona kept a friendly face. "I didn't think I'd get to fight you again. I hope you put up a better fight than last time."

Lotus laughed. "Take this seriously, or you're going to get hurt."

Up in the stands George shouted loud enough to deafen the people around him. "Kick some ass!"

Noah took his fingers out of his ears. "So, who've you got?"

George thought for a moment. "Probably Team CHRM."

Oriana raised an eyebrow. "Even after your training? I thought you would have more faith in that girl."

"There're some things you just can't beat with hard work alone. Only chance they've got is if they take out Corona soon as the fight starts, but that's not happening with his team behind him."

"Is Corona that strong?" Reid asked.

"On his own no, but his semblance is one of the strongest I've ever seen. If he gets it off the fights over."

"On the other hand, I have seen Lotus' semblance. It is quite powerful as well. I do not think this battle will be that clear cut." Oriana's optimism was unexpected.

"Only thing to do is see how it goes" Noah said.

Glynda addressed the audience. "This match will be between Team LILY and Team CHRM."

The audience erupted with cheers.

She brought her arm up and signaled for the match to begin.

As soon as the fight started Radcliff and Moona went straight for Iris. Iris gripped her axe, her light pink aura swelled around her and the muscles in her arms bulged. She swung her axe, and her two attackers were blown across the stage. A large chunk of their aura had been depleted taking that attack.

The two staggered to their feet. One of them coughed and beat his chest.

"That was different" Radcliff said.

Corona sighed. "That's what happens when you don't stay in formation."

Lotus struck at corona with her hands. He ducked and dodged her attacks and went to counter. Iris came crashing down on him and he jumped to avoid her attack. A pale blue arrow flew towards Iris and she blocked it with her axe.

"Tch." Hachi groaned with disappointment. She raised her bow again. Two balls of aura appeared at the ends with a line connecting them. She formed another arrow and drew the string back to its limit. Another arrow was trained on Iris, but a cross shaped spear head flew and struck Hachi in the stomach. The head lifted Hachi into the air before slamming her into the ground. The chain attached to it retracted into the spear's shaft. Lala gripped her spear and went on the attack. Lotus tried to tell her to stay in formation, but was too late. Corona appeared in front of Lala and punched her hard in the stomach. She was sent flying, and a small ball of white energy emerged from his body.

"There it is" George said. He looked disappointed. This is how they had lost the last time.

"What is that?" Reid asked.

"That is Corona's Semblance" Oriana answered. "It is called 「 _Let The Beat Build_ 」. When he lands an attack it releases a small sphere of energy that travels to his nearest teammate, enhancing their abilities."

"How do you know all that?" Reid asked.

"The administrators have files on all of the students. There is valuable information in them. It is fortunate that the encryption was easy to subvert."

"That semblance doesn't sound like much" Noah said.

"Not on its own, but just look" George said.

The ball traveled toward Hachi and entered her body. She sent an arrow at Lotus. It flew much faster than normal and caught her off guard. The ball left Hachi's body and flew towards Moona.

"Did it get bigger?" Noah asked.

George nodded. "That's what makes it so powerful. It keeps going and getting bigger and bigger. Let it keep going and there's no limit to how powerful it can make someone."

"That explains a lot" Reid said.

The ball entered Radcliff's body. He lunged toward Iris, his fingers seeking her throat. She didn't even try to avoid the attack. She swung her axe straight into the floor, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. Her team was completely concealed. The members of Team CHRM covered their faces. When the smoke cleared Lotus was making strange motions with her body. It was like she was moving to a rhythm that didn't exist.

"What took so long?" Iris asked. She glowed red and felt power coursing through her body. She took a deep breath and charged forward, her axe tearing through the air. She decided to go for the easiest target. Hachi had no way to protect herself and was sent flying out of the ring. A buzzer sounded signaling her defeat. Iris grinned at her downed opponent.

Lotus loved dancing much more than fighting. She was so good at it she integrated it into her fighting style. It wasn't long after she began training that she discovered her semblance「 _Fiesta_ 」. The effect depended on the dance she performed. It could make her allies stronger, faster, or tougher. It was similar in a way to Corona's semblance, though she hated when people pointed that out.

At the same time, Yasmin and Moona were locked in combat. They both used swords and found themselves evenly matched. The two of them sent a shower of sparks in every direction. A large ball of energy entered Moona, and he suddenly grew much faster than he was before. He parried Yasmin's strike and sent a counter that nearly cut her in two. She fell to the ground, her aura depleted.

Both teams were a man down. They took a moment to assess the damage. Gears were turning in Corona's head. Lotus was as strong as he remembered, but Iris was like a completely different person. She didn't have any fancy techniques or special attacks. She didn't need them, her strength was enough to get the job done.

Corona breathed heavily. "This is different."

Lotus smirked at him. "I told you to take this seriously." She started dancing again.

Corona and his teammates went for Lala. They knew they had no chance against Lotus and Iris. There was a faint green glow around her. Her spear flew with such speed it looked as though it were made of beams of light. She fended off her attackers long enough for her teammates to assist her.

Lotus sent a kick down toward Corona's head. He raised his arms to block and was struck in the back by Iris' axe. As he rolled along on the ground he saw Lala's spear head speeding down on him. He caught it in his hands and winced in pain.

"A little help would be nice" he shouted to his teammates.

Moona ran up with his sword, but was stopped by Iris. She swung down with her axe. Moona blocked it in a moment of desperation. Iris' smile told him that he'd made an error in judgment. She inhaled and put more weight on the axe. Moona's legs buckled and he was forced to the ground. Iris put a foot on his chest and activated her semblance. Moona felt an unbelievable weight on his body. It took all of his remaining aura to keep his ribs from breaking. A few seconds was all it took to take him out of the fight.

Iris didn't like her semblance. Growing up she was always insecure about her body, and her ability to make herself heavier only exacerbated those insecurities. Although, sometimes being heavy had its uses.

Corona rose to his feet. The fight was two on three now. He decided to go for Lotus. He was shorter and didn't have as much reach, but he held his own against his taller lankier opponent. As they exchanged blows Lotus's smile grew larger and larger.

"Bad idea" she said.

Corona instantly knew what she meant. While he was fighting Lotus his teammate was left to deal with two enemies on his own. He didn't have a chance, and the buzzer that sounded told him that he'd been beaten.

Corona jumped away from Lotus. He was the last one. There was no way he could win against three people.

He sighed and hung his head. "Just get it over with"

The three descended on him like starving crows. He tried to put up a fight, but quickly lost.

"The winners are Team LILY" Glynda announced to the crowd. They broke out into applause and cheers. The members of the winning team looked bashful. This was the first time they ever won a fight.

Lotus helped Corona to his feet. "Good fight. You guys are tough."

Corona shook her hand. "Thanks. You've gotten a lot better. I think you guys could go all the way in the tournament."

Up in the stands Team NGRO were also applauding. George's cheers were the loudest thing any of them had ever heard, and it was difficult for them to speak.

"They actually pulled it off. Color me surprised" Reid said.

"Is it just me, or was Corona distracted?" Noah asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. He just looked like his mind was somewhere else during the fight."

"What do you think George?"

George was gone. He had already made his way down to the stage.

He walked up to Iris and lifted her up over his head. He spun around laughing. "I knew you could do it."

Iris grew flustered. She flailed helplessly. "Put me down! George they can see my panties, put me down now!" she shouted. The crowd and both teams on the stage broke into laughter. Her face grew even redder.

George set her down and clapped her on the back. "Good job."

Iris ran a hand through her hair. "Thanks. Hey, are you doing anything this weekend?"

"You wanna do something?"

"We could go on a date. I've been wanting to spend more time with you"

George grabbed her ass and grinned. "All right, as long as I can get more of this."

Iris pushed him away. "Stop doing that!"

George laughed. "Sorry, I can't help it."

He left the amphitheater. As he was leaving he pulled out his scroll and looked up the hotel Noah had called earlier.


	21. Diamonds Dancing

Reid waited in the city for Maggie. He had made sure everything was perfect. He even made a stop at a certain store for a gift for her. He wanted to make everything go right today. He had some time before Maggie would arrive, but he couldn't think of a way to kill time.

"Well if it isn't Reid. How's life treating you?"

Reid looked around to see who had called him. He saw that it was the old man from the weapon shop. He had a stack of flyers in his hand and was wearing a shirt with an advertisement for his store on it. It took everything in Reid not to laugh.

Reid smiled at the old man. "I've been great. What brings you here?"

The old man laughed. "Looking for customers. The tournament is coming up, and all these kids from other schools are prime real estate."

"Is that what the shirt's for?"

The old man tapped his head and grinned. "You have to plant the seed. Then when one of these kids gets low on ammo they'll remember the shop owner who handed them a flyer and then I've got a new customer."

Reid thought about it. "That's not a bad idea."

The old man looked like he had remembered something. "I heard about what happened to you and your teammates. I'm glad you're okay."

"It's no big deal. I got lucky, that's all."

"Well, at least you'll have an interesting story to tell when you're an old man yourself."

Reid's eyes were drawn to the scars that covered the man's face. "Like how you got those?"

The old man a strange look on his face. It was serious, but also sort of sad. The air around him suddenly felt heavy. "I don't think anyone would be interested in hearing about that. You kids are lucky to live in such peaceful times."

Reid felt as though he said something he shouldn't have.

The old man seemed to pick up on that and tried to salvage the mood. "So, what are you doing? I figured you'd be preparing for the tournament with the other kids."

Reid instantly perked up. "I'm meeting my girlfriend for a date."

The old man gave a surprised grin. "Really? Good job, boy. What's she like?"

"She's amazing. She pretty, strong, she makes me laugh. She's pretty much perfect."

"Aw, you're gonna make me blush."

Reid turned toward the sound of her voice. "Hi Maggie." He looked at her and was stunned.

She was wearing a white sundress and a matching hat to cover up her ears. Her lips were slightly red with makeup, and her eyes seemed brighter than usual.

Reid couldn't find the words to describe how beautiful he found her. He tried to talk but just stumbled over his words.

The old man let out a low whistle. "Well hello miss."

Maggie waved at the old man. "Hi. I'm Maggie. It's nice to meet you"

The old man gave her a toothless smile. "The pleasure is all mine. It's always nice to meet such a lovely young woman. Reid here has told me a lot about you."

Maggie returned his smile. Reid thought her sharp looking teeth had their own unique qualities. "I hope they were good things."

The old man laughed. "He doesn't have a bad word to say about you. You two are a perfect match for each other."

Maggie blushed slightly. "Thank you. You're so kind."

The old man looked around and saw a group of students and made his way toward them. "Well, time for me to get back to work. You two have fun."

Reid waved him goodbye. "See you around old man."

Maggie grinned at Reid. "So, any more words about how amazing I am?"

Reid turned away from her. "Let's just go." He took her hand and they walked towards their first destination.

"This isn't the same restaurant as last time is it?" Maggie asked.

"No, I looked this one up first. They've got good food, and they're good to Faunus. You don't need the hat."

Maggie shrugged. "I'll keep it on. It's nice going out without getting stared at."

"Oh."

Reid's heart was pounding in his chest. He could smell her strawberry scented body wash. His palm was slowly getting covered in sweat. He hoped Maggie didn't mind.

She started laughing. Reid grew nervous.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I can hear your heart beating. It's like a jackhammer."

"Sorry"

"Don't apologize. I kind of like it. My ears are really sensitive so I pick up a lot of things I don't want to, but if I focus on you I don't hear anything else."

"That sounds tough"

"Some days are better than others."

Reid wanted to change the subject. "So, that outfit..."

Maggie frowned. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

"No, it's beautiful. It's just not what you usually wear."

She smiled. "Thanks. Rain helped me pick it out."

"Did she help you with the makeup too?"

She shook her head. "Iris helped with that. Rain… doesn't wear makeup."

That made sense. Rain looked normal when she drank some water, but she only did that when she was about to fight. The thought of her dried out face caked in makeup sent chills down Reid's spine. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind once they made it to the restaurant. It was much fancier than what they were used to. The two of them felt underdressed.

Reid walked up to the receptionist. "I have a reservation under 'Wenland'.

The receptionist looked through a list of reservations and found Reid's name. He guided the two teens to their seats.

As they waited for their food Reid tried to start a conversation. He tried to think of something to say but could only stare at Maggie.

"She's so pretty" Reid said.

Maggie's face turned red and she looked down at the table.

"Did I say that out loud?"

She nodded. "I don't mind. No one's ever called me pretty before."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When I was a kid people thought I was a boy. Not like much has changed now. Put me next to Pyrrha, Yang, or Iris and you'd still think so."

Reid thought about that. Maggie and Iris standing side by side severely highlighted the difference between them.

Maggie looked upset. Reid needed to change the subject.

"So, you said you lived in Menagerie for a while, what was that like?"

"It was hot all year, and there were people everywhere. Other than that it was great. Beaches, fresh fruit, and all the fish I could eat. I didn't spend much time on the island though. I'd spend most of my time helping my dad on his boat."

"Was he a sailor?"

"Yeah. He made his living as a fisherman, but sometimes people would ask him to take them somewhere. Usually he'd leave with one person and come back with another."

"Why would someone go to Menagerie?"

Maggie shrugged. "Plenty of reasons. Usually it's a Faunus who decided to leave the kingdoms, sometimes it's a human on the run. It's a great place to hide. Most people think Vacuo, but no one would ever think to look for a human in the Faunus country."

"People run away to Menagerie? That's good to know."

Maggie started to laugh. "Why? You running from someone?"

"Yeah. If they catch me they'll kill me, but first they have to catch me."

" _The Prince with 1000 Enemies._ Good one." She ate a bit of food before speaking again. "Could you tell me about Atlas? I've always wondered how the other half lived."

A waiter came by with their food. As Reid was eating he thought about what he could remember about Atlas.

He leaned back in his chair. "It was cold all the time, so were the people. Everyone had this… hardness to them. When I grew up things were really tense. There was this weight in the air that everyone felt. After the White Fang started their shit the whole country was on the verge of exploding. Of course I was just a kid when all that was going on. I never really noticed any of it until…" his voice trailed off.

"Yeah. It must have been rough"

Reid shrugged. "Truth be told I got off luckier than some people. It was better than being a Faunus around that time. Atlas was never the best place to be one, but after things started going sideways it got a lot worse. A lot of the hate people kept under the surface started coming out more and more. People were fighting in the streets, killing each other. I'm surprised it didn't end in another war. I'm glad I got out."

"Where'd you go after you left?"

Reid shrugged. "Here and there. Ended up living in a small village for a while, moved to Vale when school started up."

They got their bill and paid for their food. They thanked the waiter for their service and left the restaurant.

Maggie looked at the sky. "Movie starts in about twenty minutes. We should get going"

Reid remembered the call Noah had made. "Instead of the movie, there's somewhere else I want to take you"

OoOoOoO

Noah was surprised at how good he looked in a tuxedo. He ran his fingers through his hair and slicked it back. He thought he looked fine, but he needed a second opinion. He turned to his date to ask her opinion.

"What do you think?"

Oriana was wearing a black dress that went down past her knees. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing gold bracelets on both wrists. They hadn't paid for any of these items. Noah had made them with his semblance. It was a way for them to save money and for Noah to test his abilities. The constructs he made usually disappeared after a few hours, but the dress and the jewelry had lasted for an entire day.

"I do not care about your appearance." She was impressed at Noah's skill. The dress and jewelry were identical to the real things, even down to the finest detail.

Noah looked at his watch. If they left now they'd arrive at the school right as the doors opened. "You ready to head out?"

"I cannot believe you convinced me to attend this pointless distraction." She stuck out her hand expectantly. Noah took it. Her hand was soft and warm, like a real human's. The attention to detail made Noah's heart race. He wanted to meet the people behind such a wondrous creation.

When they arrived at the dance they could hear music. There were students and teachers dancing already. A fair number of students were mingling along the walls. Noah and Oriana decided to join them.

The music was so loud each beat shook Noah to the core. It was a perfect time to try and talk with her.

"What did you do before coming here?"

Oriana looked him up and down. "I have only been active for a year. The people who built me did so in order to test their artificial intelligence. Despite their best efforts there were certain limitations that I was unable to overcome."

"What kind of limitations?"

"The kind you do not need to know about. Let me ask you something. If you have no memories before arriving in Atlas, how did you end up incarcerated?"

Noah shrugged. "Bad luck. I just happened to share a name with a wanted criminal."

"You did not make any attempt to prove your innocence?"

"Well I couldn't remember enough about my life to tell if I hadn't done what they accused me of. Besides, even if I told them my name was fake, they would've asked me for my real name and I'd be SOL. I didn't matter either way, I only did four years and I'm out now."

"You have a very lax attitude regarding your life. I admit there is a part of me that envies that."

Noah laughed. The song changed to a slow, more intimate tune. He grabbed Oriana by the arm and they went to the dance floor.

Noah had one hand in Oriana's and another around her waist. They went through the motions of dancing. Their eyes met. Noah noticed that her pupils had a slight edge to them, like the shutter of a camera. The sight made him deeply uncomfortable.

"You're pretty good. Where'd you learn to dance?" Noah said.

"It was simply a matter of acquiring the right data. Such simple motions are easy to program."

"Did you dance a lot before?"

"I was not allowed to leave the lab so I found myself growing bored often. I taught myself to dance and would do so with my father if he had nothing better to do."

Noah looked surprised. "Your father? Is he the one who built you?"

"One of a group, although he is the only one left."

Noah didn't ask any more questions. They continued to dance for a while before the song changed. It was a faster song than before. The two of them sped up the pace of their movements. They were beginning to draw attention to themselves. Noah was going to say something when Oriana got a strange look on her face. It was anger, but something else. It almost looked like jealousy. As Noah spun around he got a look at what had caught her eye. It was the general from Atlas dancing with Ms. Goodwitch. They were looking into each other's eyes with a deep affection. It seemed the rumors about the two of them were true after all.

Noah smirked. "What's wrong, you have a thing for the general?"

Oriana glared at him and stomped hard on his foot. He never realized how heavy Oriana was until this moment. It took everything he had not to scream. His eyes welled up with tears.

"Be quiet" she snapped at him.

Noah was lucky his foot didn't break. "Obviously I touched a nerve. What's the problem? If you want to dance with him then go for it."

She looked over at the two adults. Glynda spotted Team CRDL hovering near the punch bowl and decided to put a stop to whatever they were planning. The general stood alone.

"There's your chance" Noah said.

"I cannot. If he recognizes me it will end badly."

"So it'll be okay if he doesn't recognize you?"

Oriana was confused by what he meant. Without warning Noah stepped forward and kissed her on the lips. He enjoyed the brief few seconds before breaking contact. Oriana struck out at him. Noah avoided her attack and conjured a small mirror. He held it up to Oriana's face. She looked at it and her eyes widened. Her face was completely different from before. Her features were shaped differently, her eyes were a different color, and her pupils no longer had an edge to them.

"Doubt he'd recognize you now" Noah said. He looked over and saw Glynda dragging Team CRDL out of the room by their ears. Noah tried not to laugh. "If what I've heard about her punishments is true she won't be back for a while. Now's your chance." He pushed her away from him.

The general stood on the wall with his hands behind his back. He had a small smile on his face. This was one of the few moments he looked relaxed.

Oriana walked up to him.

"Pardon me. If it is alright with you, may I dance with you?" she asked, sounding bashful.

Ironwood looked at the girl. "I'm flattered, but wouldn't you prefer someone your own age?"

Oriana shook her head. "I would be an honor to dance with a man as distinguished as yourself. An opportunity like this does not come often."

Ironwood smiled at her. "If you insist. Do you mind telling me your name?"

"My name is… Olivia."

"Well Olivia, may I have this dance?"

The two of them danced together. Ironwood towered over Oriana and tried not to overpower her. They made for an interesting sight. The glares from the female Atlas Academy students could have melted steel. Oriana ignored their jealousy. In this moment nothing else mattered but the man in her arms. She never could have imagined this happening in her wildest dreams. She savored every single second she could. When the song ended the two of them broke away. Ironwood gave a short bow and returned to his place on the wall. Oriana thanked him and went back to Noah.

"That one's for free" Noah said.

Oriana elbowed him in the ribs, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I appreciate it. I will remember this night."

The two of them walked outside. As they were walking Oriana stopped and looked off in the distance.

"What's up?" Noah asked.

"There is an incredibly powerful energy moving towards Beacon Tower. I have never felt a power like that before."

"How can you tell?"

"I am a machine built for war. I have certain sensors that allow me to gauge the level of one's aura. This one is odd. It is as if there are two distinct readings coming from a single person."

"Wanna go after it?"

"No, it is none of our concern"

Noah shrugged. "Alright. I feel like turning in anyway." He saw a student walking into the dance hall and did a double take. "Speaking of weird shit, I'm pretty sure I just saw a guy wearing a dress"


	22. Spend Some Time

"Wow, I've never seen a building that big before."

Reid and Maggie stood outside the Vale Grand Hotel. They were in awe of its size. It was one of the tallest buildings in the city, second only to Beacon Tower.

Reid and Maggie both looked nervous. They could never imagine staying in a place like this.

"Well, we can't wait outside forever" Reid said, his heart pounding louder than ever.

Maggie nodded and the two of them went inside.

What hit them first was how large the lobby was. It was huge, full of statues, with a large fountain in the middle of the room. There were paintings on every wall. Some were of old hunters, others were of Grimm. There was classical music playing from speakers along the walls. This was an incredibly upscale business. Reid and Maggie felt very out of place. This wasn't a place for a couple of students. This was a place for people with mansions and private jets, custom tailored suits and dresses that cost more than Beacon's tuition.

Reid walked up to the front desk. An older looking man saw him and frowned.

"Can I help you?" he asked them. The look on his face told them he thought they were too young to be able to afford a place like this.

Reid cleared his throat. "Yes, I have a reservation."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Under what name?"

"Wenland."

The man looked through his computer. Sure enough there was a reservation under that name. He sputtered when he looked at it. This kid had reserved the most expensive suite in the hotel. It cost forty thousand Lien to stay a single night, but he booked the entire weekend.

The man tried to regain his composure. "Yes, I see you do have a reservation. The couple's special." he reached into a drawer and pulled out two keycards. "These are for your room. If you need anything do not hesitate to contact the front desk. We will be happy to provide you with anything you need." He looked at Maggie, and back to Reid and winked at him.

Reid took the cards from the clerk. "Thank you sir."

The man smiled. "Enjoy your stay at the Vale Grand Hotel."

"This place is so fancy" Maggie said. Reid couldn't help but agree. He'd heard of places like this in Atlas, but he'd never seen it in person before. It was overwhelming. They went to an elevator with golden doors and pressed the button to go up. As they walked in they heard shouting and an older couple stumbled in after them. They both smelled like cigar smoke and alcohol. They were visibly tipsy. Both of them looked like they were having trouble staying on their feet.

The man pushed the button for his floor. Reid pressed the button for the top floor. The older woman let out a shocked gasp. She grinned and gestured to her husband.

"Look dear, they're going to the top floor. Doesn't that take you back?"

The man gave a nostalgic sigh. "Yep, you and me, nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. Just thinking about it is turning me on."

The man pulled his wife into a kiss. In time they were completely intertwined with each other. The elevator was filled with the sounds of their affection. Their kissing was sloppy and incredibly loud. The man put a hand up his wife's dress and she moaned in pleasure.

Reid was extremely uncomfortable. He was glad that his parents never acted like this around him. Maggie had gone bright red. The two off them stood there in silence, neither one wanting to draw attention to themselves. In time the doors opened and they fell out the elevator. The woman waved at the two students as she left.

"Have fun you two" she said playfully.

As soon as the doors closed the two exhaled loudly.

"That was one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life" Reid said.

"Kill me. Kill me now" Maggie said. The two of them started laughing.

When they reached the top floor and the doors opened the first thing they noticed was how quiet it was. The music that normally blared through the speakers was gone. There were no people walking the hall, not even the hotel staff. It put Reid on edge.

"Going by the numbers our room should be at the end of the hall." Reid said.

When they reached it they found themselves pausing again. They stood in front of a pair of wooden doors. Reid placed his key into a slot on the wall and he heard what sounded like gears turning. The door opened and Reid saw that underneath the wood was solid steel. The kind of people who would rent a suite like this obviously valued their privacy. He made a mental note not to lose his key.

The bed was the first thing they noticed when they walked in. It was a large canopy bed with dark red curtains hanging from the sides. On the bed was a basket with fruit and a bottle of wine in it. Reid figured the two of them were far younger than the type of people who usually stayed here. He looked around some more. There was a giant television, a small refrigerator, a dresser, and a pair of sliding glass doors than went out to a balcony overlooking the streets below.

Maggie gasped. "Wow." She sniffed at the air. "Is that incense? It smells amazing." She walked to the fridge and looked through it, finding it full of various sweets and tiny liquor bottles. She opened the dresser drawers and found condoms and lubricants. Her face went red and she slammed the drawer shut. Her eyes went to Reid standing out on the balcony.

"Come out here, you gotta see this" he said. She went to him and looked around. The people below were indistinguishable from the dark night. Off in the distance the speeding cars on the highway were merely streaks of light. She looked up at the sky, the stars shining and the moon seemingly larger than ever.

"It's beautiful." She took off her hat, feeling the cool night air on her ears. They didn't pick up any sounds except the sound of her own heartbeat and Reid's breathing. As she looked at the moon she did something she had always wanted to do, but never had the chance to. She took a deep breath.

"Awooooooo!" she howled at the moon the way a wolf would.

Reid chuckled. "Isn't that a bit stereotypical?"

Maggie laughed. "Yeah, but who cares?"

The two of them went back to the room. Reid grabbed a remote for the television and turned it on.

"Wonder if there's anything good on" he said as he flipped through the channels. He settled on a film that had just started. It was a buddy cop movie.

Maggie's eyes lit up. "Oh I love this one. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for you"

The movie was about a pair of police officers. One was a human, the other a Faunus. They worked in a violent part of the city they served, and through the dangers they faced together they became closer than brothers. The movie chronicled their time together, the laughter, the tears, and the rage, until the end. The two officers found themselves outgunned and overwhelmed, and the human officer sacrificed his own life to save his partner. When the credits rolled both Reid and Maggie had tears in their eyes.

"This movie gets me every time" Maggie said as she wiped her eyes.

"You were right, that was a good movie" Reid said. "I wonder if there's anything else on"

He flipped through more channels. He didn't see anything that looked interesting and turned the TV off.

"Oh right, I just remembered." Reid pulled a small box out of his pocket. It had the name of a jewelry store etched into it. He handed it to Maggie. "I got this for you"

Maggie opened the box. It was a silver necklace. Maggie picked it up and held it in her hands. It shone in the light.

She gasped. "Reid, it's beautiful, but why give me this?"

Reid looked sheepish. "I just wanted to get you something nice. I saw this jewelry shop and figured why not." He didn't mention that he found the shop after his leader murdered a man that bought a similar necklace.

Maggie threw her arms around him. "I love it." she kissed him. Reid pulled her close and held her. He moved his hands down to her waist. He felt her tongue in his mouth and backed away.

Maggie frowned. "Sorry, did you not like that?"

"No, I was just surprised."

Their tongues rolled over each other. Reid could smell her scent, soap and salt. His hand went to her back and slowly undid the zipper on her dress. Maggie's ears twitched and she lifted Reid's shirt over his head. She saw a small scar on his chest near his heart. Hers was pounding. She stood up and let her dress fall to the floor.

Reid's mind went blank. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the frilly, strawberry patterned bra and panties Maggie was wearing. There were a number of things Reid could have said, but he was so shocked he started laughing.

Maggie grew red. "What?"

Reid calmed down. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting that." Reid slipped off his pants. His underwear wasn't much better. They were grey boxers patterned with black paw prints. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh at their partner's poor taste in undergarments.

Maggie put her hands on Reid. Her hands went from his stomach, to his chest. She could feel his ribs. The way his skin clung to his bones concerned her greatly. Her hands went down to his lower back. She felt a rough patch of skin near the base of his spine, like a wound that had healed. She pressed down on it and Reid nearly jumped.

"What is that?" she asked.

Reid sighed. "I figured this would come up eventually. Do you remember when I said I fell in with some bad people? Those people really hated Faunus. Back then I was so angry I didn't care, but it hurt so bad my hair turned white. I'm glad I'm not that like that anymore, but I do miss my tail."

Maggie's face slowly shifted as realization dawned on her. When it fully hit her eyes went wide and she gasped in horror. "You're a Faunus? But that means that-"

Reid put a finger over her mouth. "We can talk all about that later, for now I just want to be with you."

He kissed her again, and they fell on to the bed together. Reid's hands fumbled with the clasp on Maggie's bra before undoing it. He stared hungrily at her modest breasts. He felt one with his hand. It was incredibly soft despite its small size. He pinched her nipple, causing her to let out a small moan. In one swift motion he removed her panties. Maggie was naked as the day she was born. Reid took the sight of her in in, her muscles, her scars, her ears. He wanted her right now.

Maggie's face was bright red. "Stop staring at me like that."

Reid chuckled. "Why wouldn't I? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on."

Reid parted Maggie's legs with his hands and stared at her mound. There was a small tuft of reddish brown hair. Her wet slit glistened in the moonlight. There was a hungry look in his eyes.

Maggie whined softly. "This is so embarrassing."

He crawled up to her and slipped out of his boxers. Maggie looked at his erection and swallowed loudly.

She reached out and gently wrapped her hands his hardened member. Her hand was warm and soft.

"I've never seen one in real life before."

She gently stroked it, feeling it pulse in her hands. "I didn't know they were so… veiny."

Reid blushed. "Sorry mine is so weird looking."

"It's not weird, it's actually kind of cute."

Reid's face fell. "I prefer weird."

Maggie ran her tongue along his shaft. She opened her mouth and engulfed him in a wet heat. Her red lips were wet with saliva. She gently sucked on his member as her head moved back and forth. Reid ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him. Gazing into her blue eyes sent him over the edge. He groaned and exploded in her mouth.

Maggie spat into a garbage can and grimaced. "God, how can she stand that taste?"

Reid was collapsed on his back trying to gather himself. "Where'd you learn that?"

Maggie wiped her mouth. "Iris taught me. She had me practice on a carrot."

Reid sighed. "Time well spent. Alright, it's only fair."

Reid kissed Maggie on the stomach. Each time he planted his lips on her he moved further down.

Reid pressed his lips against hers. His tongue flicked against her entrance. Maggie moaned and gripped the sheets on the bed. Reid wanted to hear more of her. He parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside her. She was sweet, and hot like a furnace.

Maggie's back arched. She ripped the sheets and screamed.

"Fuck!"

Reid came up for air. He looked into Maggie's eyes. "That was so hot."

Maggie looked down and saw that Reid was aroused again. It seemed even larger than before.

Maggie pulled Reid close to her.

She whispered in his ear. "Be gentle."

Maggie guided him into her. Reid slowly pushed in until he felt a small resistance. He thrust until he was fully buried in her. Maggie let out a small gasp.

"Are you okay?"

"It doesn't hurt that much. Keep going" she breathed.

Reid felt her warmth surrounding him. He slowly slid in and out of her, savoring every second. His fingers intertwined with hers. Her heavy breathing echoed in his ears. The smell of her sweat drove him crazy. He sped up his motions. Maggie moaned in his ear and cried out his name. Reid pulled her hips closer to him. His fingers sinking into her. His hips slapped against hers.

Maggie groaned and whispered into his ear. "Reid, I'm coming." Her nails raked his back.

Reid gently bit her on the ear. He felt her walls tighten.

The two of them dissolved into pleasure. They collapsed into a sweaty, tired heap. They were both sore, but satisfied.

Reid kissed Maggie and smiled at her.

"I love you."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too."

Reid's eyes felt heavy. He was suddenly very tired.

He slowly drifted off to sleep. This night was the first peaceful rest he had in years.

OoOoOoOoO

"Excuse me sir, but we've received several noise complaints regarding this room. If it is possible could you keep your… activities at an acceptable volume?"

The clerk sounded irate as he talked. He'd been fielding complaints all night and most of the morning. He had no idea how this kid was even able to afford to stay here.

"Sorry 'bout that my man. Tell you what, I'll kick a little money your way as an apology" George said.

The clerk seemed appreciative. "Very well. Please, keep it down for the rest of the weekend." The man closed the door and left.

"You really are too loud" Iris said.

"What can I say, I'm passionate." He climbed back into bed with Iris and pulled her in close. "Besides, you know you love it." He kissed Iris on the neck. She giggled and rested her head on his chest.

George was glad he remembered the number to the hotel. Lotus had finally put her foot down and banned George from Team LILY's dorm. She and the rest of her team had gotten tired of getting thrown out their own room. George suggested they go back to his room, but Oriana refused to leave. When George suggested they do it with her in the room Iris nearly took out his other eye.

"What time is it?" Iris asked. George looked at his scroll. It was around noon. The two of them had a busy night. They didn't sleep until five in the morning.

"Doesn't matter." George wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed. He closed his eyes and felt his fingers sink into her flesh. His hand went to her slightly pudgy stomach. He felt a sharp pain on his wrist.

"I told you not to do that" iris said sharply.

"So you'll suck my dick but I can't touch your stomach?" George said, laughing. That was a mistake. Iris turned around and glared at him.

"If you're gonna be like that then maybe I should go" she said angrily. She got out of bed and started to get dressed.

"I'm sorry." George grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the bed. He looked into her gray eyes and felt an incredible longing. It was more than a physical attraction, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this girl. It was strange. She looked like the kind of girl that needed protecting from guys like him.

Iris looked at George's body, rippled with muscles and covered with scars. It made her feel safe. She ran a finger along the large one running down his chest.

"You know, you're a lot different than how I thought at first" she said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I first met you I thought you were really scary. You looked tense, like you were seconds away from exploding."

"I won't explode near you, I promise."

"I know, you're really nice, which also surprised me. Growing up I heard… rumors about men from Vacuo"

"What kind of rumors?"

"How they'll use violence to solve every problem, they'll trample all over the weak and laugh about it, and that if they see a woman they like they'll just take her without a second thought."

George was quiet for a moment. "Well, I can tell you for a fact that all of those rumors are true, especially that last bit. Some of the shit I saw left me fucked up." He chuckled. "There's an old joke in Vacuo; a virgin is a girl that can run faster, jump higher, and punch harder than the men around her."

Iris shuddered. "Mistral has one like that too. A virgin is a girl that can outrun her uncle. My dad laughed when he heard it."

"That's fucked. To be honest I wonder how I would have turned out if I didn't have people looking out for me."

Iris paused. George never brought up his friends unless he was asked, and even then he kept it vague. Iris only knew the broad strokes of his life before Beacon. Part of her was afraid to ask for details.

"Do you think you could tell me about them?" Iris asked, almost hesitant.

George shrugged. "Not much to tell. There were a lot of guys in the crew, but I was only really close with a few of them. Lem was my best friend. We fought together a lot. He was a skinny fuck, but he could scrap with eh best of 'em. Mo was a fat fuck who was high off his ass all hours of the day. Even so, he helped me through a lotta shit. Butta was… there. He was alright, I guess."

Iris looked at George. She knew there was a name he didn't mention. She wanted to know more about her, but she knew how much of a touchy subject that person was for him.

Iris chose her words carefully. "Was there anyone else?"

George looked at Iris. He didn't like how frightened she looked asking that question.

"Yeah. There was Nene. She practically raised me. Taught me how to fight, helped me train, kept me fed, she was always looking out for me. I never met my parents, but I think she's what a mom would be like. I never would have left Vacuo if she didn't tell me to."

"What was she like?"

George laughed. "She was a cold blooded killer like damn near everyone else I knew. Other than that she was an angel."

Iris sighed. "Thanks for telling me. I know how difficult it is to talk about these things."

George shrugged. "Nothing difficult about it, I just don't feel like talking usually. More importantly, I don't want you being afraid of me. If you want to ask me something, feel free."

"Okay" Iris said. "Do you want to go out?"

"Later. I'm fine right here." He looked into his girlfriend's eyes. He'd never laid eyes on something so beautiful in his life. Her large eyes, her horns, her soft body, George loved everything about Iris. "What was it like, growing up in Mistral?"

George laid there and listened to Iris talk about her life. She was the youngest of four children, her father was a blacksmith, and she had never won a fight before she had met George.

George listened to her story. Normally he wouldn't care at all about another person, but he found himself engrossed by Iris talking about what it was like for her growing up. Her life wasn't glamorous or exciting. She lived a mundane life in a small village with two parents and three older brothers. It was an ordinary life that anyone could have had. George felt a small pang of envy. That was the kind of life he'd always dreamed of, and he'd thrown away any chance at it in a moment of selfish anger.

"And then I spent the whole day covered in leeches. Are you listening?"

"Mm hm." George rested his head on her chest. He had never felt so relaxed in his life.

This feeling wouldn't last.


	23. Sabbattical With Options

The last thing Detective Cotton expected when he walked into work were two kids waiting in his office. One of them had blond hair, blue eyes and an unbuttoned shirt. The other had blue hair, a red jacket, and a pair of orange goggles on his head. The detective did a double take when he saw them.

"Who are you people and what are you doing here?"

The blond boy spoke up. "I'm Sun and this is my buddy Neptune. We're here on a mission."

"What are you talking about?"

Detective Salt walked into the room. "Oh, you're here already. Hello boys, I'm Detective Salt, and this is my colleague Detective Cotton. I understand you'd like to work with us."

The blond boy was clearly excited. "Yeah, I've always dreamed of being a cop."

Cotton looked at Salt. "Why was I not told about this?"

Salt tried not to laugh. "I did tell you. You probably weren't listening."

Cotton could tell by looking at the two boys that they were strong fighters. At this stage in their lives they would normally be out fighting Grimm or other hunters.

"Why'd you pick this gig? Wouldn't kids your age choose to do something more exciting?"

The blue haired boy's eyes lit up. "Dude, cops are awesome! Risking your life chasing down bad guys even without any powers. That's so badass."

Salt smiled at the boys. "Thank you, but we're detectives, not patrol cops. Our job is to investigate crimes, not catch bad guys."

The boy called Neptune grabbed a file off of Cotton's desk. "What's this? Some super-secret case files?"

He opened it and looked through it. His face went green and he vomited into a nearby garbage can.

Cotton grabbed the file from him. "That is my murder book, don't touch it. You're throwing out that trash, by the way." The page the boy was on was covered in pictures of the multiple homicide in the abandoned house that occurred months ago. Even after all this time they weren't any closer to solving it.

Sun grabbed the book out of Cotton's hand. He whistled at the sight of the pictures. "Man, those guys got wrecked. It's weird, but something about these pictures feels real familiar."

Cotton looked at the boy. "Are you from Vacuo?"

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"The lack of shirt buttons gave it away. Is that the style where you're from?"

Sun shrugged and went back to thumbing through the book.

Cotton came to a realization. He'd never have a chance as good as this. "Lemme ask you two something. You see anyone suspicious at the school lately?"

"What do you mean?" Neptune responded.

"Someone who feels like they don't belong, gives you a bad vibe, something like that."

The two boys thought about it. Nothing came to mind at first.

"Well there's Team CMEN from Haven. Something about those guys just creeps me out." Neptune said.

"Those are the only guys that come to mind" Sun said.

Neptune pounded his fist. "Oh yeah, there is someone else."

"Who?"

"Remember? That guy Blake was talking about."

Sun grimaced. "Yeah, there is this one guy. Blake told me every time they see each other he just glares at her, like he's angry at her or something. It's weird."

"You wouldn't happen to know his name would you?" Cotton asked.

"Nope."

"Figures"

"If we're finished with the questions I have something for you two." Salt reached into his pocket and pulled out two star shaped badges made of plastic. He handed one to each boy. "Congratulations, you two are now officially junior detectives. I hope you enjoy the experience."

The two boys had massive smiles on their faces. Cotton groaned. This was going to be a long week.

OoOoOoO

It was time for the students to head out on whatever missions they had been assigned. Of course that was the last thing on George's mind right now. While the rest of his team were in the amphitheater listening to the headmaster deliver a speech he was making a mad dash for the nearest restroom. As he stumbled into a stall he felt a deep sense of regret. This would be the last time he ever ate sushi from a vending machine. He squatted down on the toilet and reflected on the horrible decision he had made.

Someone else walked in and took the stall next to him. It sounded like someone was crying. George was finding it difficult to relax. He banged on the wall.

"My man. I'm trying to take a shit, so if you could shut the fuck up with all that noise that'd be great."

The other person ignored him and kept crying. George sighed and finished up. After washing his hands at the sink he turned around and tore the stall door off its hinges.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" George shouted. He took a second look at the person in the stall. It was a young looking boy with white hair down to his shoulders. At a glance he could easily be mistaken for a child. It was Corona, leader of Team CHRM.

George had no idea what to do. He's seen plenty of men crying, but that was usually when they were about to die. He was clueless on how to deal with a situation like this.

"Why are you crying?" he asked Corona.

Corona wiped his eyes. "Why do you care?"

"Because I was trying to relax and you interrupted me. If you don't have a good reason why I'm gonna put your head through the wall."

"So you see someone crying and need to mess with them. Is that how they get down where you're from?"

"Yeah. So what's up?"

Corona grabbed a bit of tissue and blew his nose. "Last night I got a call from home. My mom died. They're gonna have a funeral for her, but I'll be on a mission then. I don't know what to do."

George sighed. "You talk to your team about it?"

"No. It was hard enough getting them to listen to me at the beginning. If they see me like this they'll never respect me again."

George nodded in agreement. "So what's your plan?"

Corona shook his head. "I don't know. I want to go home to see my mom, but I can't abandon my team. What should I do?"

George shrugged. "I don't know. Why are you even asking me? Ain't like I can tell you what to do."

"Right. What was I thinking?"

George thought for a moment. "I won't tell you what to do, but I will tell you this: if you do go, don't bother coming back. If you turn your back on your team now you'll never be able to stand by them."

"So you're saying I should suck it up and deal with it."

"That's the life we chose." George reached into his pocket and pulled out his weapon. "I want you to look at this." He showed Corona the engraving.

Corona raised an eyebrow. "What does this mean?"

"They're the initials of my friends. I carry this to remind me of what I lost, and why. The letters stand for something else too."

"What?"

"'Never Leave My Brothers'. I wasn't there for my friends when they needed me and I've regretted it ever since. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about wanting to go back and make the right choice."

"Wow. I need to think about this."

George stretched. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd your mom die?"

"She'd been sick for a while. I wanted to stay home and take care of her, but she pushed me into coming here."

George snorted. "Shit, is that all?"

Corona glared at him. "What's wrong with you?" he shouted angrily.

"Calm down man. I'm just saying. Your mom died peacefully in a bed surrounded by people who care about her. That's a lot more than most people get. Shit, I saw a kid get shot sixteen times cause his dad had beef with someone. Just lit his ass up."

Corona shook his head. "God, is everyone from Vacuo insane?"

"Yeah, where are you from anyway?"

"Patch. It's a small island west of Vale."

"Cool. Well, I need to get going. You make a decision soon, you hear?"

"Yeah. Thanks by the way. I needed someone to talk to about this."

George left the bathroom to join his team. He wondered what happened to him to make him so talkative. Before he'd never tell these types of things to anyone, yet here he was spilling his guts to a stranger.

"This place really is making me soft" he said to himself.

But, a part of him felt that that wasn't so bad.

OoOoOoOoO

"I thought that speech would never end" Noah said. He stood with his other teammates near a Bullhead that would take them to their destination. All of them were anxious to get away from the school.

"Where is George?" Oriana asked, sounding impatient. The sooner he got back the sooner they could leave.

"I don't know, he said he was going to the bathroom." He looked over to Reid and shouted. "Hey Reid, you about done?"

Reid was talking to Maggie. He clearly didn't want to be apart from her for long. His desire to stay near her was written all over his face.

"I'm gonna miss you" he said to her.

Maggie laughed. "It's only for a week. You guys are just clearing some Grimm out of a village right? It'll be over before you know it."

"I guess. Where are you going?"

"Escorting some merchants. The trade route they usually use is full of bandits now. Tell you the truth I'm glad to get some exercise."

Reid whined softly. "Stay safe out there, okay?"

Maggie threw her head back and roared with laughter. "You're actually worried about me? That is so sweet." She grabbed Reid and pulled him in close. While one arm was wrapped around him her other hand was running through his hair. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

A huge smile went across Reid's face. He started to laugh like a kid. "Am I a good boy?"

"Yes you are. And since you're such a good boy I know you'll be fine by yourself for a few days. " Maggie kissed Reid and went to board her ship.

"What in the fuck was that?"

Reid turned and saw George walking toward him.

"Don't worry about it. Where were you?" Reid said.

"I was takin' a shit. You guys ready?"

Noah nodded. "Yeah. You all excited?"

"No, but the sooner we get this done the sooner I can see Maggie again" Reid said.

The four boarded their Bullhead and headed toward their destination.

Noah was bored. There were two hours until they reached their destination. He decided to kill some time.

"Hey George"

"What?" George said.

"I've been wondering. You did four years in a Vacuo prison. What was that like?"

George looked out the window. "Inside wasn't that much different from the outside. If you knew the right people you could get whatever you wanted. Thing that stuck out to me was that there were no guards on the inside. Only had them by the exits."

Reid raised an eyebrow. "No guards? That's weird. What if the prisoners start fighting?"

George chuckled. "Man that's life. If you get murked in a low rate prison fight then you were never shit to begin with."

"What did they do about people trying to escape?" Noah asked.

"Let 'em go. Prison had twenty miles of desert all around it. If the heat didn't kill 'em the grimm did. Now what about you? How do they get down up north?"

Noah shuddered. "They had someone watching you all the time. If it wasn't a human guard then one of those robot soldiers the military uses. If anything was even slightly out of place the whole prison got put on lockdown. Other than that it was fine. Keep your head down and don't piss anyone off and you're set." He looked over at Reid. "Now that I think about it, we both went to the same prison, but I had never met you before we were recruited. What exactly did you get put away for that they had you in isolation?"

Reid looked away from Noah. "I killed people."

"No shit" George said. "Who'd you kill?"

"People who didn't deserve it, that's all I'm saying."

Reid leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"Where are we going?" Oriana asked.

"Some ass-crack village in the middle of fuckin' nowhere" George said, clearly disinterested. "I thought we were gonna do something cool."

Noah chuckled. "Some low impact work is good every now and then. Besides, wouldn't actually helping people be a refreshing change of pace?"

George threw his hands up and slumped in his seat. "Fighting Grimm is fuckin' boring. Couldn't we go after some bandits or White Fang instead?"

"How much more of your complaining will I have to listen to?" Oriana asked.

George snorted. "A hell of a lot more."

True to his word George kept on complaining the entire flight. He complained about his burned hand, not knowing how to shape his aura, about how Iris won't let him touch her stomach, and anything that crossed his mind. By the time they reached the village Noah was ready to put a bullet in his head to make it stop.

When they landed in the village they were greeted by an elderly man leaning on a cane.

"Welcome to Lakewood Village. You must be the hunters we requested."

Noah shook the man's hand. "Technically we're hunters in training. I'm Noah, and this is Team NGRO of Beacon. I understand you've been having a Grimm problem lately?"

"Yes. Normally we only get a few each month, enough for the older villagers to deal with, but recently there's been more than we can handle."

"We'll be sure to take care of it"

They were directed to a small shack which was to be their living quarters for the next few days. Once they put their things away they were given a tour of the village. It was a decent sized place. There were around one thousand people living there. Aside from the section of the village where the houses were there was a central square with a market and various shops.

George saw a smith and decided to visit his shop. When he returned his weapons had a different look about them. There was a small black crystal embedded in each one.

"What's that for?" Reid asked.

"You'll find out" George replied.

"We'll go look around and see what we find" Noah said.

The four hunters grabbed their weapons and went searching for leads.

"Where should we look?" Oriana asked.

"You can't find Grimm?" Noah asked her.

Oriana shook her head. "The sensors I am equipped with are for detecting aura. They are useless for finding Grimm."

Reid sighed. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way." He sniffed at the air. A light breeze came through. His nose was hit by a faint yet fetid smell of rot and decay. It was the scent of a Grimm. He pointed in the direction the smell came from and they went on their way.

As they moved closer to the source the smell grew stronger. As they followed the growing scent they found themselves standing outside the mouth of a cave about five miles outside the village. Reid clamped his hands over his nose to block the smell.

"I'm guessing this is it" George said.

"Yep. Any ideas?" Noah asked.

"Hit 'em hard and fast so we can go home" George said as he stretched. There was a sense of dread crawling up his back. It was just like back home.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Noah stepped into the cave and disappeared in the darkness.

The deeper they went into the cave the stronger the smell got. Eventually even Noah and George had to cover their faces. Reid was in agony. He couldn't wait to get out of here. They stood outside the entrance of a cavern deep inside the cave. The faint sound of something breathing came from the pitch black darkness.

Oriana looked ahead. "I believe we are at the deepest part of the cavern.

Reid's green face confirmed her suspicions. He was ready to keel over.

"I have had just about enough of this" Noah said. He conjured up three gas masks. He put his on and was finally able to breathe without the stench of rotting flesh assaulting his nose. He gave one to Reid and George as well. Once they were situated they readied their weapons. Noah conjured several flares and tossed them into the dark cavern.

The torches lit up the cave. It turned out to be much larger than they thought. The floor of the huge cavern was littered with bones and broken weapons. It seems they weren't the first people to try and kill whatever resided here. They looked up and saw that they had found their target.

The size was the first thing they noticed. It was as large as a Goliath. It had the body of a lion, covered with thick black fur, but that was the only normal thing about it. Its head was vaguely shaped like that of a lion, but underneath the ornate white and red mask were clearly human features. On its back were large, leathery wings. They looked closer and saw that it had a long, barbed tail with a large stinger at the end. Everything about this monster was dangerous. The only saving grace was that it appeared to be asleep at the moment.

Noah swallowed loudly. "What the hell is this? There's no Grimm like this in any of the books I read."

"Maybe it's a new species" Reid replied.

George cracked his knuckles. "Don't matter what it is, let's kill it quick and get the fuck outta here."

The monster opened its eyes. The dull red orbs seemed to look right through them. The vaguely human face had a bored expression, like it was already tired of this routine. Neither it nor the hunters moved at all for what felt like an eternity.

The monster seemed to know why these four had intruded upon it. It stood up and roared. Its mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth. The sound of its cry was loud enough to shake the cavern. The monster spread its wings and shot up through the ceiling, sending rocks and debris crashing down.

"Outside, now!" Noah shouted. The four ran as fast as they could. The tunnels they traveled down collapsed behind them. When they were outside they saw the monster flying toward the village. All of them knew that the villagers had no chance against something like that. They needed to bring it down, and do it fast.

Noah caught his breath. "Ready guys?"

"No" the other three responded.

Noah grinned. "Too bad"


	24. Big Beast

"We need to bring that thing down" Noah said. He conjured a rifle and fired at the beast. The bullets seemed to have no effect on it.

"You don't have anything bigger?" Reid asked.

"I don't want to burn myself out just bringing it down."

Oriana was impressed something so large could remain airborne. "It is quite high up. I wonder…"

Several objects appeared from her back. They circled around her before firing several lasers into the monster's wings. The holes they made were too small to be of any significance. Although the beast was slightly lower it continued flying undeterred.

"Looks like we need to take a wing off to bring it down" George said. He couldn't stop smiling. He'd seen giant Grimm like this on TV, but never this close. "Any ideas?"

Noah thought for a moment. "We need to get someone up there." He turned to Oriana.

She seemed to know what he was thinking and shook her head. "Unfortunately I was not equipped with flight capabilities. That was used for a later model."

George groaned and looked at Noah. "Well leader? Any suggestions?"

"Give me a minute." Noah looked at Reid. He never noticed until now, but he was really thin. He could probably fly if he was launched. A schematic popped up in his head.

Reid saw Noah looking at him. "What's up?"

"I think I have an idea. We're going to throw Reid at it."

George threw his hands up. "That is the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Let's try it."

Reid shook his head rapidly. "Whoa, hold up. I am not doing that. It's insane."

"Come on. Worst case scenario is I miss and you get a couple broken bones" Noah said.

"Yeah, like my neck or my spine. No, absolutely not."

Oriana looked up at the beast flying in the distance. "I suggest you come to a decision quickly."

Reid groaned in exasperation. "Fine, whatever. If this doesn't work I'm kicking your ass."

Noah held out both his hands. A large mass of gold aura appeared on the ground and changed shape into a large structure. Once the light had faded away a large rectangular object appeared on the ground. It was a larger version of the device that launched them into the forest at the beginning of the school year.

Noah took a second to admire his handiwork. "All right, just stand on that."

Reid took a hesitant step onto the device. He had bad memories of the last time he had stood on this.

"Good. Just wait for my signal before the launch." Noah said.

"What signal?" Reid asked.

Without warning the device activated, launching Reid into the air. His screams slowly faded out as he ascended.

Reid flew through the air, the wind whipping at his face. He gripped his shovel and summoned his aura. As he closed in on his target his shovel was engulfed in his energy. Reid was now wielding a shining blue blade massive in size.

As he passed below the monster's wing he swung his weapon as hard as he could and tore through it. The monster let out a screech and crashed into the ground sending up a cloud of debris. Reid found himself in a similar position. He'd accomplished his goal, but he was plummeting as well. From this height the best he could hope for was several broken bones.

He closed his eyes and waited to hit the ground. He could barely hear anything over the howling wind in his ears. He collided with something hard. He opened his eyes and saw George holding him.

George grinned at him. "That was pretty cool my man."

"Thanks. Think you can put me down?"

The rest of the team gathered together and surrounded the beast. It stumbled to its feet and let out a deafening roar. Its face was twisted with rage. Its tail shot out towards the four hunters. They each dodged before the pointed stinger landed with a devastating impact. The ground where the stinger landed smoked and turned black. All the grass around the point of impact died in an instant.

Noah shuddered. "Don't let that hit you" he shouted to his teammates.

The four surrounded the monster but couldn't inflict any meaningful damage to it. It seemed to shrug off any attack that hit it. George delivered a punch to its claw, but only put a small crack in one of its nails. The beast kicked at him and sent him flying into a tree.

George coughed and staggered to his feet. A huge smile was on his face. This wasn't like anything he had ever fought. He ran back towards the monster and dodged its falling stinger. The smoke coming from the ground burned his nostrils.

The beat's tail seemed to have a mind of its own. It struck out wildly, slowly eroding the ground around it. The monster turned its gaze toward Reid. It recognized him as the one who cut of its wing. Its face twisted with rage. It pointed its tail at Reid. The tail swelled up before bursting. Dozens of long, sharp needles exploded from its tail and flew toward Reid.

Reid gripped his shovel and batted them away. They weren't very heavy, but there were far too many of them. His vision was filled with sparks. He couldn't keep up with the sheer number of needles. One struck him in his chest. It was like a cannon. It drove Reid into the ground. There was no way he could take another one of those. He looked up and saw another volley of needles speeding towards him.

George jumped in front of Reid, the needles breaking against his hardened skin.

"You good?"

Reid dragged himself to his feet. "Yeah. That tail's a real pain in the ass."

Reid ran back toward the beast's rear. "Try and distract it for me."

George nodded and joined Noah and Oriana near the monster's front. Noah conjured a rocket launcher and fired at the beast's head. The rocket hit its target, but only left a scorch mark on the creature's mask.

Noah was breathing heavily, his forehead covered in sweat. "This thing is tough."

He had no time to catch his breath, as the beast's tail came crashing down at his feet. Noah jumped to the side and stumbled to the ground. The giant stinger flew towards him again, but was stopped by Oriana.

The stinger pierced her shoulder, eroding her metal body. Her left arm fell to the ground, sparking wires jutting out.

She looked at Noah on the ground and sighed. "This is the last time I will save you, now get up."

Noah scrambled to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"This injury is nothing. Focus on the task at hand."

Oriana fired more lasers at the monster, but that only served to anger it further. It kicked at her with a clawed foot, sending a long nail through her stomach. Oriana punched the nail with her remaining hand and broke it. The beast screeched in pain and back away. Oriana tried to get up, but her legs wouldn't move. Her spine had been broken, and her connection to the motors in her legs severed.

She put a hand to her ear. "Prepare another body."

The beast raised its foot over her. Oriana didn't blink when it came crashing down. Instead of being crushed like she expected, she saw George holding the monster's foot up. The monster put more weight on its foot. He groaned in pain. His arms were near their breaking point.

George looked down at Oriana and gave her a smirk. "You look like shit."

Noah ran up and carried her away. George roared and threw the monster's foot upwards and rolled away.

He slouched over let his limp arms hang. "Man, I don't ever wanna do that again."

Noah ran up to him "You good?"

"Yeah. Anyway Reid says we gotta distract that thing for a bit."

Noah sighed. That wouldn't be hard. The monster was fixated on the two of them. It swiped at Noah with its claw. Noah created a large steel barrier. The screeching sound of claw against metal assaulted his ears.

George prepared to attack, but found himself under assault by a rain of needles. He activated his semblance and ran through them. He was nearing his limit. Whatever Reid had planned, he needed to do it now.

Reid ran to the creature's rear. He crouched down and concentrated his aura in his legs. He felt his muscles expand beyond their limits. He jumped up towards the monster's tail. He gripped his shovel and channeled his aura into the blade. A single swing severed the monster's tail and sent it into the ground. Purple liquid spurted from the stump, staining the ground below and scorching the grass.

The beast reared its head and let out a scream of pain. This scream was much more human sounding than the roars it had let out before. It was obviously less than pleased with this turn of events. Its eyes burned with hate as it lumbered toward the two hunters.

Reid ran and rejoined his teammates. He was out of breath and running low on aura. If he used an attack like that again, it would be the last time.

George clapped Reid on the back. "That was some good shit man."

Reid wiped sweat from his forehead. "Good news is that stinger won't be a problem anymore. Bad news is I'm running on fumes. Any ideas?"

Noah conjured a small, round object. "Take a minute to recharge. Me and George'll handle things for now."

The beast roared again. Noah threw the object he had conjured into its open mouth. The monster's mouth filled with flames, and it reeled backwards screaming. It dove headfirst into the ground and used the dirt to smother the flames

George jumped onto its face. With a wicked grin he thrust an arm into the monster's eye. Black blood spurted all over. The beast let out another scream. It backed away, as if it was trying to retreat. Its face looked almost fearful.

George couldn't stop laughing. "I almost feel bad for it."

He pulled his arm out and shook the blood off. Looking down he saw that Reid was back on his feet. Whatever he had planned, now was the time.

George jumped down and ran to where Reid was. "I think it's about time we end this."

Reid nodded. "Let's get this over with so I can get some rest."

George flexed his muscles. The soreness in his arms had faded. He ran up to one of the monsters front legs. He clenched his fist and channeled his aura into his arm. The crystal in his weapon shone with a black light. George threw a massive punch that completely destroyed the beast's leg. Bits of black and red flesh flew all over. George was glad he learned about the usefulness of dust weapons. A simple upgrade to his weapons had exponentially increased his power.

The monster screamed again and crashed into the ground. It tried to feebly drag itself away with its remaining legs. The sole remaining wing uselessly flapped about.

Reid slowly walked up to it, his shovel again engulfed in his blue aura. He swung his weapon through the beast's head, splitting it in two. The monster let out one last scream and dissolved into nothing.

George clapped Reid on the back. "Good job."

Reid grinned. "That was kinda fun."

Noah walked up to them. "Alright, let's head back to the village."

Reid looked at his burned palms and winced. "What about Oriana?"

"She said to leave her in the woods. Don't ask me why."

The three went back to the village satisfied in their victory.

OoOoOoO

The villagers were beside themselves with joy when the boys returned and told of their success. They all applauded the young warriors. The three of them were mobbed by grateful civilians adorning them with hugs and kisses and words of thanks. It was incredibly uncomfortable for all of them.

For the first time in their lives they had acted to save another person. Each of them felt a sense of satisfaction that they never had before. They each had realized that this is why people become hunters. They do it to protect the people incapable of protecting themselves, and to act as a shining light in the dark world of Remnant.

Of course, this realization only served to highlight how grave an insult their presence in this village truly was.

The village elder grasped Noah's hands. "Thank you so much for your service."

Noah's face went red. "It's no problem. We're just doing our jobs."

The elder smiled. "If there's anything you need, feel free to ask. We are all in your debt."

Reid looked at his bloody hands. "A few days to rest would be nice."

"I'm hungry" George said.

"Of course, we'll be more than glad to accommodate you."

Hours later the entire village had turned into a giant party. There was food and drink all around. Noah stood off to the side and took in his surroundings. Reid was busy eating everything around him. The other villagers were utterly baffled by his ability to eat so much. George had a woman on each arm, regaling them with the tale of how he had defeated the monster singlehandedly. His booming laughter rang through the air.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Noah looked and saw another villager standing next to him. He looked about his age.

"Yeah. I've never done anything like this before. It's nice."

The boy grinned. "Yep, we know how to party, that's for sure. By the way, wasn't there another person with you?"

"She stayed behind in the forest. Said she wanted to take care of any stragglers."

The boy nodded. "Cool. I wanted to thank you again. It's been rough the past few months. We lost a lot of people to the Grimm. They say that's what happens when you live outside the kingdoms, but we're still people, you know? We want to live same as everyone else."

"I know what you mean. I'm glad I could help."

The boy walked back towards the party. "You should enjoy yourself. Days like this are hard to come by."


	25. Feel It In The Air

Noah and George spent the next few days ridding the surrounding area of stray Grimm. While it wasn't difficult by any measure it was incredibly boring. The remaining Beowolves and Ursas weren't nearly enough of a challenge for George, and the basic enemies didn't give Noah any opportunity to experiment. It wasn't long before that part of their job was done. Now there was nothing left for them to do but wait for their ship back to Vale.

George got out of bed and stretched. A quick look at his scroll told him that it was six in the morning. He put on some clothes and went out to do his daily meditation. After he finished with that he fell to the ground to recuperate. He stared up at the sky enjoying the peace and quiet. That quiet was shattered by his scroll ringing.

He looked and saw that Iris was calling him. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm good. I killed a giant Grimm."

Iris gasped. "That's so cool."

"I know, what've you been doin'?"

"Just some bodyguard work. Protecting some SDC big shot while he's in the city."

"See any action?"

"A protestor threw a tomato at me, but that's about it."

"Sounds really boring."

"I like it. It's nice not having to fight."

George could hear Lotus shouting in the background.

"Iris! Stop talking to your boyfriend and get back to work!"

"Okay! Sorry George, I have to go. See you when you get back. I love you!"

She hung up before George could say goodbye.

George sighed and closed his eyes. However, right when he was about to drift off to sleep a loud crack shocked him awake. There was another, louder one. Then several more. George got up and looked for the source of the sound.

There was a young boy punching a tree. His small hands were covered in bruises. He took a deep breath and struck at the tree again. He punched a hole in the bark, but didn't do any significant damage to the rest of the tree.

George scoffed. "Damn kid, you're weak as shit."

The kid wiped sweat from his forehead. "What do you want?"

The boy's body was covered in his white aura. He punched the tree again, but still couldn't break it.

"I'm wondering how a dude can fight a tree and lose."

The boy's face went red. "Leave me alone."

George laughed. "Nah, I leave you like this you'll be dead in your first real fight." He held out his arm and summoned his aura. "Focus it around your fist, like this." his aura concentrated around his fist. He threw a punch at the tree and punched straight through it. The tree tipped over and fell to the ground with a crash.

The boy groaned and went to another tree. He took a deep breath and tried to focus his aura. His aura moved toward his arm before it sputtered and broke. The kid fell to the ground.

George laughed. "Damn son, you suck. Don't you have anybody to teach you?"

The boy looked at the ground. "No, I don't."

George didn't press the issue. "A'ight, how about I teach you somethin'." He held out his hand and summoned his aura. A small ball appeared on his index finger. It moved down his finger and up the next until it was on the tip of his pinky.

The boy was amazed. "How'd you do that?"

"It's easy once you learn how. Try it, and soon you'll know how to focus your aura." George didn't mention that that was the extent of his ability to shape his aura. Anything more complex than a small ball was beyond him.

The boy concentrated and made a small ball of aura appear on his finger. It flickered for a few seconds and broke apart.

The boy groaned in frustration. "Why can't I do it?"

George shrugged. "Don't beat yourself up. I was just as bad when I first started. How about I help you out?"

The boy smiled and nodded.

George got into a stance. "First thing you want to do is summon your aura." He took a deep breath and was engulfed in his green energy.

The boy took a similar stance and summoned his aura.

George smiled. "Good. Now try holding that for as long as you can."

The boy nodded. He held his aura in place for ten minutes before it sputtered and broke apart.

The boy leaned forward, breathing heavily. "This is tough."

George was still going. "Don't worry about that. You're doing better than I was when I was starting out. Course the end goal is to keep it up for a few hours."

"Wow, you should be a teacher."

Reid walked up to the two of them. It was clear he had just woken up since his hair was messy and he wasn't wearing a shirt. There were bandages around his hands and chest. He was more injured by the fight than he thought at first. After the battle he was in no condition to fight again for a while, so he spent his time with the other villagers. He was especially popular among the village's children.

George walked up and hugged him. "Sup Reid. You sleep okay?"

Reid yawned. "Same as usual. What's with all this?"

The boy looked at Reid with awe. "Did you really kill that big Grimm?"

Reid shrugged. "I got the last hit, but my teammates helped bring it down."

The boy's eyes went wide. "That's so cool! You must be the strongest guy on your team."

Reid shook his head. "Nope, that guy is way stronger than I am. I don't think I could ever beat him."

George looked at Reid. He was as skinny as ever, but his wiry frame held an incredible power. "I think we're about even. On a good day you might be able to fight me and live."

Reid laughed. "Humbleness doesn't suit you."

George rolled his eye. "Whatever. You wanna train with us?"

"Sure. What were you guys doing?"

"Some aura exercises."

Reid perked up. "Really? I used to do those all the time with my dad." He summoned his aura and in seconds there was a small blue ball on all ten of his fingers. The balls all converged on a single finger became a single large object. He manipulated the ball into various shapes. It was like it was as natural as breathing for him. George couldn't help but be impressed. He had Reid beat in raw output, but Reid's control over his aura was unparalleled.

The boy was enthralled by the display. "You're amazing."

Reid's face went red. "It's not that special. You can do this too if you train hard enough."

George planted a hand on Reid's head. "Nah, he's right. You're something else."

Reid grinned. "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."

"Don't get all gay on me man. Let's get back to training."

The three boys went back to their meditation. They sat in the field in complete silence. Nothing, not even animals, made a single sound.

At least until George started talking again.

"So how was it?"

"How was what?"

"Maggie. How was she?"

"What makes you think you can ask me something like that?"

"I thought we were friends."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Friends don't ask questions like that."

The boy looked at Reid confused. "Who's Maggie? Is she a friend of yours?"

Reid grinned. "Yeah. She's my girlfriend."

"Is she pretty?"

Reid had to think about that. "She's the prettiest girl I know, in her own way."

George snorted. "I bet. Don't worry lil man. You keep training and you'll have bitches on your dick before you know it."

Reid slapped George's head. "Don't talk like that around a kid."

George groaned. "What? I'm trying to tell him what's up. Maybe if you had someone to tell you about this shit you wouldn't be as fucked up as you are now."

Reid looked indignant. " _I'm_ fucked up? You're worse than I am. At least I'm not some crazy battle fetishist like you."

George laughed. "Nah, you're way more fucked up. Always crying, all nervous and shit, only pussy you can get damn near looks like a man, and-"

Reid had lunged at George and was pounding his head into the ground. He throw blow after blow, each one sending shocks through the ground.

The boy panicked. "Why are you fighting? Aren't you two friends?"

Reid ignored him. He kept punching George, ignoring the growing pain in his hands. He wasn't even that angry. He was just frustrated and saw George as a perfect chance to vent some of that frustration. When he was done beating on George he was exhausted and bleeding from his hands.

George was completely unfazed. "Feel better? That's another thing that's wrong with you: you never talk about shit. You just keep it all inside your head. I can tell you got somethin' on your mind, so spit it out."

Reid got up and winced in pain. It was like George's face was made of stone. Even without his semblance George was tougher than the average fighter. "Since when do you care about how I'm doing?"

George shrugged. "I told you, I worry about you sometimes. You and Iris both get that same look in your eyes when something's bothering you."

Reid sighed. "I don't want to go back to Vale. This is the first time I've actually used my powers to help people. I can't go back to doing what we've been doing."

"I feel you. Been thinkin' the same thing myself."

Reid was taken aback. "You have?"

"Yeah. I've been wondering how this all ends. Either they let us go, or they have us whacked. If it's the former, good, if it's the other one, then that's when it gets interesting. We got a couple more days before we head back, so take some time to think about it. If you do wanna stay behind I won't twist your arm, but Noah might have somethin' to say."

Reid got up and walked away. "No time like the present."

OoOoOoO

Noah sat at a makeshift desk cleaning his guns. He had them disassembled on a table. Each piece seemed insignificant on its own, but without it the gun would fail to function at all. There was something about that Noah found fascinating. It spoke to him in a way. He began to reassemble one of his weapons when someone walked in.

"I see you are hard at work" said Oriana. She had been put back together so well no one would guess that she'd been torn apart just a few days ago.

Noah grinned at her. "Good to see you up and about."

"It was nothing much. I simply needed to replace certain components. It is a practice you are quite familiar with."

Noah laughed. "Well, most people don't just swap out parts on a whim. Either way, I'm glad that you're okay. It'd suck to lose you."

Oriana looked puzzled. "I do not understand. You could have allowed my body to be destroyed. It would not have been the first time. As long as the data comprising my personality still remains I can simply inhabit another body."

"Alright, I'll be sure not to save you next time."

He went back to assembling his guns. Right when he had grabbed a piece he was struck by a sharp stabbing pain in his right arm. One of his fingers detached from his hand and fell to the floor, bursting into a shower of golden light. Noah looked at his misshapen hand and sighed. In seconds the missing finger was replaced by a perfect imitation.

Noah flexed his fingers and sighed. "I hate when that happens"

Oriana was shocked. "What was that?"

"My finger? It's nothing major. Stuff I make out of my Aura tends to fade away after a while. If it's something I only need to use once then its fine, but parts of my body need to be replaced every once in a while. It hurts like a motherfucker, but I got used to it after a while."

"That is quite amazing. It appears that we share more similarities than I thought at first."

Noah grinned. "That's why I like you. At the end of the day we're both just pretending to be human."

Once his weapons were assembled he got up and went outside. Oriana followed behind him.

The two of them went outside and looked at the scenery around them. The air that hung over the village when they first arrived was gone. The people were happier and far more relaxed than they were before. They saw people buying goods, making clothes and weapons, Reid off in the distance playing with a group of children.

"I might sound like a broken record, but this really is a nice place" Noah said.

Oriana nodded, but didn't say anything.

Noah walked over to where Reid was. A group of children were trying to knock him down, but Reid easily avoided their charges. It was an even mix of human and Faunus children. One child tackled Reid from behind and sent him to the ground. She laughed and gently bit his ear, her own cat ears wiggling.

Reid laughed with her. "Argh, you got me."

He grabbed the child and patted her on the head.

"Maybe I should put her on the team instead" Noah said.

Reid looked up at Noah. "What's up?"

"Not much. Gotta send in my report, then we just wait to head back to Beacon."

Reid stood up. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Noah noticed how nervous Reid looked. Even more so than normal. "What?"

"Is it alright if I just stay here?"

Noah felt that this was coming. He'd noticed the change in Reid's demeanor since they arrived. He had never wanted any part of this from the beginning. No one could blame him for seeing a way out and seizing the opportunity.

"Is that what you want?" Noah asked.

"I've thought a lot about this."

Noah shrugged. "Then I'm not gonna stop you."

Reid blinked. "Really?"

"What, did you think I'd just shoot you? I'm not like that. If you want out, then you're out. Just, what about Maggie?"

"I'll talk to her, maybe I can convince her to come here."

Noah chuckled. "You can try, but I doubt she'll go for it."

He pulled out his scroll and read a message from Ms. Goodwitch. "Our ship out should be here the day after tomorrow so you've got some time to think about it."

He walked up to Reid and firmly shook his hand. "If this is the last time I'm seeing you, then I want you to know that you were a great teammate, and a really good friend."

OoOoOoO

Oriana stood alone. She thought about what she was about to do, not that she had a choice. The device had been active since they arrived in Lakewood. It was simply a matter of time. She didn't mention it at the time, but saving her from being crushed by the Grimm was a grave error. There were multiple spare android bodies, but only one device had been made. Very few people knew of its existence, and if they had discovered what it was for it would spell the end of the science team. The combat androids were controversial enough among the military, what they had built now would certainly cause the higher ups to come down on them.

She looked around at the villagers going about their day. None of them had any idea what was coming. If it were up to her they'd be able to continue their lives in peace, but some things are beyond her control.

Her ear started buzzing.

"Hope you're not getting cold feet" her handler said.

"Do not insult me. I know what must be done. Besides, even if I had any objections I would not be able to stop it."

The man at the other end laughed. "Now you're getting it. Either way you can't actually stop it. They didn't put an off switch on that thing. If it'll make you feel better you can think of it as what you've been doing, just on a larger scale."

"All for a better tomorrow, right?" The question was dripping with sarcasm.

"Yep. It's not like this is the worst thing we've ever done. Anyway I gotta go, make sure you get some prime data for me, okay?"

"Goodbye."

Everything was set. All that was left was to wait. If things went well, the scientists could get their data, and she could finally rid herself of those three. If they somehow survived, then she'd have to deal with them personally.

Either way, Team NGRO was entering its last days.


	26. Macaroni Time

Reid stood outside the shelter, a bomb in his hand. It was freezing outside, and the cold Atlas winds seemed to pass right through him. He was chilled to the bone, but that didn't deter him. He was sent to do a job, and he intended to see it through. It wasn't like he was the one that started this. They fired the first shots. They started the attacks. They were the ones who gunned down his parents like animals.

Reid grew angry as he recalled being pulled out of class and taken to a police station. He remembered seeing his parents on a cold steel slab, all the color drained from them. They didn't even care that they had killed another Faunus. As far as the White Fang were concerned Reid's mother was a traitor to their people.

That only made him angrier. He screamed and threw the bomb into an upper window. The window filled with flames, and soon the fire spread to the other rooms on the upper floors. Reid turned around to leave when he heard something that he shouldn't have.

There were people screaming in terror. That shouldn't be happening. Why were there people here? It was supposed to be empty. That's what they had told him.

The fire spread to the rest of the building, and eventually the screaming stopped. The only sounds were the crackling of wood and the distant sirens.

Reid collapsed to the ground. He didn't even try to run. He didn't know how long it took before the fire department arrived, but soon they were there and pulling out bodies. Some of them were kids, just like him. Reid felt sick to his stomach. He looked at one of the charred black corpses and vomited.

When the police came he didn't hesitate to surrender. When they took him to the station he told them everything about the group he was a part of and what they were planning in the future. Everything that happened after that was a blur. He remembered a trial, being sent to prison, getting stabbed in his bed, and being put in an isolated cell below the prison that he stayed in for years.

That was what ran through Reid's mind every night when he went to sleep. He repeated the worst night of his life every night. As he drifted off in his cell swore he could smell smoke.

OoOoOoO

Reid woke up to the smell of something burning. At first he thought it was another nightmare, but the lack of the frigid Atlas air biting into his face made him realize it was reality. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his weapon, and went outside. What he saw nearly broke him.

The village was on fire. There were buildings burning all around. Clouds of thick black smoke billowed through the air. The sight of the flames brought forth memories Reid had buried long ago.

What he noticed next were the bodies. Corpses strewn all across the ground. Some were covered in claw marks, others looked like they had been bitten into. Reid looked at one corpse and recognized it as one of the children he had played with the day before. Her eyes were wide open and her face was frozen in a look of sheer horror. She must have spent her last moments in agony. Reid bit back the bile building in his throat. He looked up and saw a pair of glowing red eyes looking down at him. It was a Beowulf. An insignificant thing for a hunter, but incredibly dangerous for a defenseless civilian. There was fresh blood dripping from its claws. Its eyes narrowed, like it was sneering at him.

Reid screamed and cut the beast in two. He knelt down next to the girl and closed her eyes. Fighting back tears he ran to the center of the village to look for survivors. Someone, anyone.

There were even more bodies. Limbs strewn everywhere. The buildings were all destroyed. The ground was streaked with blood and scorch marks. The mingling smells made Reid gag. The smoke, the burning bodies, the blood. But there was one smell that overpowered all the others, the scent of Grimm. It was even stronger than in the cave. There must have been over a hundred in the village. Reid kept running until he saw a sea of red eyes shining in the dark smoke. They stepped forward. There was a wide assortment of monsters. Beowulves, Boarbatusks, Ursas. It was just like Professor Port's class. They didn't move. They watched Reid to see what he would do. He noticed one of them was standing on a person's body. Reid ground his teeth in anger. The sheer indignity of it all. The body moved. It looked up at Reid with a pained expression. Reid's aura flared and in seconds every Grimm near him was dead. Reid ran to the person and held them up. He was covered in blood, and one of his legs was broken.

"What happened?" Reid asked.

The man coughed up blood. Judging by the wounds on his body he didn't have much longer. "Grimm. Hundreds of them. Came out of nowhere."

Reid didn't understand any of this. Noah and George should have taken care of any leftovers. No, even if they had missed a few that wouldn't explain this mass onslaught. This wasn't normal. This many Grimm wouldn't be in one place unless something was drawing them here. That shouldn't be possible either. The Grimm were drawn to negative emotion, but the mood of the village had been nothing buy joyful recently.

The man coughed again and went limp. Reid wanted to help him, but he needed to see if there was at least one survivor. He ran all over the village, killing every Grimm he could. He could barely breathe through the smoke. No matter how hard he searched he never found any living people. There were only bodies, some with only simple claw or fang wounds, and others that looked as though they had been ripped to shreds. Every single person in the village was dead.

Reid fell to the ground. He couldn't go on anymore. There was no point. The people he risked his life to protect were gone. The chance at a better life was burning around him. In one night he had lost everything.

He heard movement all around him. He was surrounded by monsters. They slowly encircled him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Reid didn't move, he only tightened the grip on his shovel.

"Just get it over with."

The monsters all attacked at once.

OoOoOoO

Noah jumped out of bed and grabbed his guns. George and Oriana were already awake and standing outside their shack.

"What the fuck's going on?" Noah asked.

"It appears that the village is under attack," Oriana replied casually.

Noah looked at the burning buildings and black creatures all around. "How? I know we cleared out all the Grimm. There's no way we missed this many."

The Grimm noticed them and attacked. One by one they all died, but more and more kept coming. It took everything the three had to keep from getting overwhelmed. They were surrounded on all sides by a flood of monsters with no end in sight.

"Probably a stupid question, but you think there're any survivors?" Noah asked. He ducked under the claws of a Beowulf and fired two rounds into its head. It fell to the ground and dissolved, but two more appeared behind it. He gunned both of them down, but he was running out of bullets. He had no time to reload, so he tossed his spent guns aside and conjured new ones.

Oriana scanned the village. There were no other signals apart from Noah and George. The village was completely annihilated. "There are no signs of life anywhere in the village."

George felt a chill. "What about Reid? Is he okay?"

Oriana performed another scan but didn't find any other signals. She expanded her search radius and found a signal. It was faint, and fading. She pointed towards the source of the reading. "I found Reid. He does not have much longer."

George grimaced and tore through his enemies. He ran where Oriana had pointed, but was mobbed by more monsters. He effortlessly destroyed them, but he couldn't kill them fast enough to make a difference.

He ground his teeth in frustration. "Get the fuck outta the way!"

He crushed every enemy that came near him, but wasn't able to move forward at all. There were simply too many. Reid was somewhere in the village alone. If there was anyone that needed help at this moment it was him. George couldn't take the thought of him being alone through all of this.

There was a sound like a bolt of lightning, and a bright blue light shone in the dark orange night. There was a sound of something slicing through the air. In the distance the three hunters could see limbs flying in every direction. The Grimm were cut down in a flash of light. The destruction was moving closer and closer, until there was a man standing in front of them holding a shovel.

Reid was covered in blood. His shirt was torn, and his upper body was covered in fresh wounds. His eyes were black, and there were tears running down his face. He looked at his teammates and his face twisted with rage. He ran at them and attacked the first one he could get to.

George grabbed Reid's shovel mid swing. He groaned. There was an absurd amount of power behind that attack. "I'll take care of him. Call Beacon, tell 'em we need some help."

Noah and Oriana ran off. Neither of them stood a chance against Reid while he was like this. George couldn't help but laugh. He'd always wanted to see how strong Reid really was, he just never imagined it'd happen like this.

Reid's aura came off of him in waves. It was even more powerful than when they were attacked in the city. It wasn't filled with the raw anger that it was last time. This was more sorrowful. George couldn't blame Reid for feeling this way. Something like this could break even the hardest man.

The instant George let go of the shovel Reid vanished. George activated his semblance. In less than a second he felt Reid's shovel slash across his back. He felt another slash on his side, then another on his chest. Reid was too fast to keep up with. He attacked relentlessly with dozens and dozens of strikes. He was like a hurricane. The sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air. George couldn't hope to match his speed, or his stamina. Reid never got tired, he could keep this up as long as he wanted. On the other hand George had his limits. He couldn't take these hits forever.

George focused his aura around his right fist. Reid appeared in front of him, his approach leaving him out of range of George's right hand. So George attacked with his left. Reid was sent flying and crashed through the wall of an empty house. That bought George a couple of seconds. He readied himself and waited for Reid to attack again.

Reid exploded from the house and attacked again. He slashed at George's head. George ducked, but Reid kept going, using the momentum from his spin to deliver a powerful blow straight down. George put his arms up to block. The blade hit his arms with incredible force. George felt the blade cut into his arms. George knew that brute force was one way to overcome his semblance, but he didn't think Reid was capable of that. He was almost proud.

George kicked Reid hard in the stomach. Reid recovered and continued his attack. George couldn't think of anything. All he could do was try and take Reid out before he went down himself. He charged his fist with his remaining aura and waited. He would only get one shot at this. If he failed, then he was dead. If that happened, then Noah and Oriana were done for.

He didn't try to follow Reid with his eyes. Reid was far too fast for that. He waited for Reid's attack. He heard his shovel cut through the air. As soon as he felt the blade on his chest he punched Reid as hard he could in the stomach. Reid was lifted off the ground. While Reid was in the air George struck Reid in the head with his other arm. Reid was sent into the ground and didn't move. George relaxed and took a step forward. In that instant Reid sprang up and swung his shovel at George's head. The blade stopped a hair short.

Reid blinked, his black eyes now their regular brown. "What happened?"

George sighed in relief. "Welcome back."

Reid looked at George's injuries. "What happened to you? How'd you get all beat up?"

George chuckled to himself. "You happened. You damn near killed me."

Reid's face fell. "I did? I had no idea. Last thing I remember I was on the ground and…" A look of horror appeared as he remembered what happened. "The village!"

He saw the burned buildings, the scattered bodies, the flying Grimm circling overhead and he realized. It was all gone. He couldn't even kill himself properly.

"You alright?" George asked.

"I'm fine." Reid replied.

George knew he was lying. "Are you really alright?"

Reid didn't say anything. He started to shake. His breathing was heavy and ragged.

"How could I be fine with this?"

Reid fell to his knees and screamed until he couldn't. He sobbed and sobbed. Everything that he had kept inside of him came flooding out. He didn't know how long he was on the ground, but when he rose knew that he couldn't stay any longer. He turned and walked out of the ruined village. "Let's get out of here."

George followed behind him not saying a word. What could he say?

The two of them walked in silence for several miles without seeing anyone else. The other two had gone far out of the way to find a safe landing zone. After a few more miles they found Noah and Oriana standing next to an airship. Noah looked relieved, but Oriana's face was strange. There was something there that neither of them could quite figure out. She almost looked disappointed.

Noah sighed with relief. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Do we look okay?" Reid said, his voice thick with bitterness.

The four boarded the airship and started their long journey back to Vale.

Team NGRO's mission ended in failure. The result was the destruction of Lakewood village, and the deaths of all one thousand of its inhabitants.

The Atlas military's science division's test of their latest weapon, code named "The Grief Engine", was a resounding success.


	27. I Got A Story To Tell

The four sat on the airship not saying a word. There was nothing anyone could say to make what happened any better. They had failed, and people were dead because of it. All they could do was learn from their mistakes.

Noah broke the silence. "Alright, if no one's gonna say it I will. There is no way we missed that many Grimm."

George leaned back in his seat. "You got another explanation, 'cause I ain't seeing one"

"It doesn't make any sense. You and I went out for miles killing every one we saw. The only way that many could show up is if they were all hiding underground."

"Can't be that. That big-ass cave collapsed didn't it? I'm drawing a blank."

The two racked their brains for an explanation, but neither of them could come up with anything. It seemed as if this was never going to be adequately explained.

Until Oriana spoke up. "I have an idea."

Noah looked at her. "What?"

"Let me ask you a question: how do you know that you are real?"

"What do you mean?"

"It is a simple question."

Noah thought for a moment. "I have my own thoughts, my own feelings, I can choose for myself what I want to do."

George snorted. "Where the fuck are you goin' with this?"

Oriana chuckled. "It is simple. You know that you are real, and I know that I am not."

Noah and George looked confused.

Oriana kept going. "The difference between you and I is that you have a soul, and I do not. The ability to form ideas is not unique to human beings. The brain is merely a device to store information. Memories, personalities, and emotions are simply data, and data can be manipulated, edited, or erased entirely."

Noah was shocked. "Wait, what do you mean you don't have an aura? How've you been able to fight with us? I've seen your aura on the monitors during our sparring."

Oriana would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying this on some level. "Do you not recall how I ended every fight with a single blow? Brute force is enough for some, but prolonged battles would almost surely end in defeat for me. You saw what happened when that Grimm attacked me. I simply sent out a false signal, the kind that I can receive on my scanners."

George was losing his patience. "What does any of that have to do with what just happened?"

Oriana brushed off his frustrations. "I am getting there. As I said before, I am merely a platform to test the many ideas of the Atlas scientists. One of them is artificial intelligence. Imagine a machine that could think, emote, and make its own decisions. It was not an easy process, let me tell you. Creating a digital blueprint of a human brain was significantly more difficult than any of the scientists imagined. At first we tried scanning the brains of the recently deceased, but that was insufficient. We were required to use the brains of those who were still alive, although that proved difficult in its own way."

"I'm guessing most of 'em didn't make it," George said.

"Correct. Progress cannot be made without sacrifice after all. In any case we made a breakthrough. We were capable of building a machine that could think like a human, and emote like one as well."

Noah sighed. "And that machine is you?"

"No, there are others. My role is different. Once the scientists were able to digitally replicate a human brain their next thought was how to utilize it as a weapon. That is where I come in. I was implanted with a device that could emit emotions. What happened in the village was merely a test, a quite successful one."

George and Noah realized what she meant. If she was equipped with a device that could imitate and emit human emotions, then attracting Grimm would be simple.

"That's bullshit! You mean to tell me that you just so happen to have something like that?" Noah shouted.

"Did you not think it strange that everything has gone so smoothly for us? We have murdered dozens of people. That many crimes in such a short time would undoubtedly create a storm of negative emotions. Then there was the day the assassins attacked you. That many people dying in one day would without question call forth countless numbers of Grimm if I did not intervene. All I needed to do was increase the output of positive emotions to counterbalance it."

Noah shrugged. "I just chalked that up to police incompetence."

George scoffed. "That's convenient. So all you need to do is crank up the volume and the Grimm stay away?"

Oriana nodded. "Yes, at maximum output the device can match the emotional state of around two thousand people. Imagine the negative emotions of two thousand people concentrated in a single place. Every Grimm for several miles would be running towards the source."

"Why would anyone even make something like that?" Noah asked.

Oriana looked at him curiously. "Have you never once thought 'what would happen if I did this'? The scientists are no different. Testing the device was the true reason I was placed on your team. My handler caught wind of what your benefactors were planning and saw it as the perfect opportunity."

Her words hung in the air. None of them could have comprehended such a thing. They had all done horrible things, but nothing on this level.

George gripped his seat so hard it broke. "What kinda twisted motherfuckers wipe out a whole village as a test?"

"I assure you that was far from the worst thing they have done. I could regale you with tales of how they discovered that they could implant an aura into inanimate objects. It involved several people having their souls removed from their bodies."

Noah looked deep in thought. "If that thing was inside you the whole time, why didn't you get rid of it?"

Oriana's smile grew wider than ever. "And now we arrive at the heart of the matter. While it is true that I can think for myself, I found myself unable to destroy the device. My mind is merely a digital copy, and placing certain limitations upon my actions were child's play. As much as I wanted to the idea of destroying the device simply never occurred to me. Although it would be more accurate to say that I was forbidden from thinking of it."

"They let you know about it but made sure you couldn't stop it. That's fucked up" George said.

"To be honest I never understood the scientists' humor" Oriana replied.

"This has to be some top secret shit you're telling us. Is that really something you should be talking about?"

Oriana laughed. "No, in fact they are quite furious. They are currently discussing the best course of action. Not that I blame them. If the wrong person learned of what I had told you every scientist in Atlas would be executed."

Noah and George looked shocked.

"Wait, they can hear us?" Noah said, incredulous.

"Of course they can. It would be foolish to send me out into the field without monitoring me."

"If it's such a big fuckin' secret then then why the hell are you telling us?" George asked.

Reid spoke for the first time since they boarded the ship. "Because we won't live to tell anyone else about it."

Oriana put a hand to her ear. "Correct again. I was just given a new order: eliminate the three of you."

OoOoOoOoO

Once they were back in Vale each member of Team NGRO went off in their own direction. None of them felt like being around their team at the moment.

Noah went to the school to report the results of his mission. He felt nervous standing in the headmaster's office again. He told Ozpin and Glynda what happened, the man's expression not changing once.

Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "I see. That is unfortunate. Please do not blame yourself for what happened. There is no way you could have predicted such a thing."

That didn't make Noah feel better at all. "I understand, but I just can't help but feel I could have done more. All those people are dead because I screwed up."

Ozpin sighed. "You did all that you could. If that large Grimm you described was allowed to roam free the damage would not have been limited to one village."

"I understand, sir."

Glynda walked up to Noah and placed a hand on his shoulder. "In any case, we are glad to see you return in one piece. Get some rest."

Noah couldn't meet the woman's eyes. "Yes ma'am."

Noah left the office and went to do something. What he didn't know. He needed time to process what he'd learned.

He was going to die. That much was certain. It was only a matter of when.

Surprisingly he didn't feel all that torn up about it. He didn't expect anyone who'd done the things he had to just get away in the end. In a way it was nice to get some confirmation.

One thing was certain, he had no intention of going down without a fight.

OoOoOoO

Reid sat in the infirmary getting his wounds tended to. He didn't say where he had gotten them. He hadn't said a word to anyone. It wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

The old nurse looked at Reid's bandaged body and sighed. "While I appreciate your company I wish you could come visit me without getting injured first. I think you've gotten hurt more than any other student this year."

Reid gave a small grunt of acknowledgement. His mind was miles away at the moment. After everything that had happened he was ready to check out. All he wanted to do was sleep and not wake up.

Once he was patched up he got up and left. As he walked through the hall he heard someone call out to him.

"Reid? When'd you get back?"

Maggie had found him. She was even more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. There was a scar across her nose, and one of her ears looked like it had been chewed on.

Her eyes widened when she took a closer look at Reid. "Holy shit what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just got a little banged up."

She was the last person Reid wanted to see right now. He hadn't thought about what he would say to her. He was standing on the edge of a cliff, and he didn't want to drag her down with him. She deserved better than that.

Maggie wrapped her arms around Reid. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you. Man, you won't believe what happened." She went to kiss him, but Reid backed away. Maggie's ears drooped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanna be by myself for a bit. We can talk later."

"Okay"

Reid could hear the hurt in her voice. He hated himself for rejecting her affections, but he didn't want her caught up in the mess he was in. Oriana wouldn't hesitate to go through Maggie to get to him. If pushing her away was the only way to keep her safe then that was what he was going to do.

No matter how much it hurt.

OoOoOoO

George walked through the city with no goal in mind. He didn't really care that he was going to die. Everyone does in the end. If anything what really bothered him was learning something he knew deep down was true all along.

No matter where he went the strong would always prey on the weak. That was something he'd seen all the time growing up, but he thought that was only in the lawless hellhole he was raised in. Part of him had held on to the childish dream that there was one place in the world where people wouldn't be crushed by people above them. That they wouldn't live and die at the whims of people who casually destroy others for power, for profit, or for fun. But people were the same all over.

He looked around the city and saw people going about their day like normal. Something caught his eye, metal men carrying rifles walking all around. Those looked new. He wondered what they were for.

"George!"

Iris ran up to George and hugged him. "When did you get back?"

George relaxed slightly. Seeing her always put him at ease. "Today. What're you doin' in the city?"

Iris was beaming. "Going shopping. I got a bonus from my mission so I wanted to buy you something nice."

George felt proud of her doing such a good job. "Been meaning to ask how that went."

"It was easy, we just followed this guy around for a few days. It wasn't until the last day that it got hard."

George raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Iris looked shocked. "You didn't hear? The central square exploded and a bunch of Grimm got into the city."

George shuddered. "Shit. What happened after that?"

"It wasn't as bad as it could have been. If it weren't for Team CFVY I don't know what would have happened."

"They held shit down huh?"

"Yeah. Coco was so cool the way she blew away a dozen Nevermores in the blink of an eye."

George made a mental note to see them later. Every new thing he learned about them made them worthier opponents in his eyes.

Another metal man walked by George.

"What are those?"

Iris looked at the mechanical soldier. "Oh, those are those robots that Atlas brought here. I think they're supposed to be security while the tournament's going on. They were pretty useful too during the breach."

George looked at Iris. She wasn't as weak as she was when they first met, but she was still the kind of person who he wanted to protect. But soon he wouldn't be around for her. He thought about how she would fare without him.

George wrapped his arms around Iris and held her tight.

Iris was caught off guard. "George? What's up?" He didn't answer. "George, you're hurting me."

Iris could feel George shaking. She looked up at him and saw a tear traveling down his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

George let her go and smiled at her. "Nothing, I just really missed you."


	28. We Ball

Beacon was on break after the end of the second term, which meant the only students at the school were ones who didn't feel like returning home for the week. After the break was over the Vytal Festival would begin, so George had a very slim window to do what he was planning. All he could do was hope that the people he was looking for were actually here.

But before that, there was one other thing he needed to do. He'd put it off for too long, and now he was almost out of time. He went off to take care of it, but found himself getting cold feet at the last minute.

He pulled out a scroll and dialed a number. "Hey, it's me. I'm at the place, but I can't do this by myself. Can you come help me?"

He waited outside the place until he saw the person he had called. Professor Peach wasn't wearing her usual suit. She had on a dark grey jacket with a white tank top underneath along with a pair of jeans. She still had her gloves on. George figured she wasn't the kind of person who would go anywhere unarmed.

"Hey. I got your call. You sure you don't want Iris here too?"

George shook his head. "Nah, I don't wanna bother her with this."

Peach pointed behind him. "Well I don't know what to tell you, but she's behind you."

George turned around. Sure enough Iris was standing there looking incredibly upset.

"I can't believe you" she shouted.

George didn't even notice her. She'd definitely gotten better.

"I figured you wanted to do something else" George said, sheepish.

Iris glared at him. "How could you think that? I told you I'd always be there for you. If you're having trouble I want to support you."

George planted a hand on her head. "Sorry. I'll make it up to you tonight."

The three of them went into the building. There was a man standing behind a counter. He looked up when he heard the door open.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm George, I talked with you on the phone."

The man realized who he was talking to. "Oh. Everything's ready. You're at plot 285."

The man went out into the cemetery with the others following behind. It was a massive field littered with hundreds of gravestones. It was several minutes before they reached their destination. It was a plain white gravestone with several names engraved on it. It wasn't very expensive, but it was more than they would have gotten where they were from.

"You couldn't think of anything else to put on there?" Iris asked.

George laughed. "Those are words I live by. Couldn't be anything else."

There were four names on the gravestone.

 _Neoma_

 _Lemon_

 _Mocha_

 _Butter_

Beneath the names was a sentence George had heard once. He forgot who had said it to him, but it resonated with him. In a way the words kept him alive when he had to go to work.

 _Fuck the other side._

"We'll give you a minute" Iris said. She and Peach went to a different part of the cemetery.

George sat down in front of the grave. He was quiet for a long time. He couldn't think of anything to say to them.

He sighed. "I fucked up. No other way to put it. I went against your word, and I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't have wanted me to do that, but I couldn't just let what happened to you slide. I'm not like that. Even though I fucked it all up I did have fun trying to go legit. Standing in that ring, all those flashing lights, people cheering for me. It was great. But enough about that old shit. Tell you the truth I'm caught up in some real bad shit, way worse than the shit we used to do. I don't know what I'm gonna do. Nene, I really could use that brain of yours right now. I could always count on you. It's not all bad though. I finally got to fight Pyrrha. Fucking awesome, way better than the videos. I got some good friends, and I even got myself a girl. You guys'd love her. Anyway I don't have much else to say. You guys be cool, I'll probably be joinin' you soon. Might even bring a couple friends with me."

He got up and walked over to where the other two were waiting.

Iris grabbed George's arm. "Do you feel better?"

George shrugged. "Lil bit. I feel weird. You ever done that before?"

Iris shook her head. "I've never really lost anyone close to me. I couldn't imagine what it's like."

"It hurts at first, but after a while you get used to it. I lost a lot of guys back home." George started counting on his fingers. "Glass, White Sean, D. Rose, Red Eyes, Cloud." He kept rattling off names until he ran out of fingers.

Iris squeezed George's arm even tighter. "That's not something you should get used to."

"I guess. What about you Professor?"

Iris punched George on the arm. "That's not something you just ask someone."

Peach laughed. "It's fine." She was quiet for a moment. "My son."

Iris gasped. "Your son?"

"Yeah. He wanted to be a hunter just like his mom. I told him he could do it if he really tried. I still remember the look on his face when he got accepted into Haven. Graduated at the top of his class. I was so proud of him. A few years after that I got one of those black letters in the mail. He had gone out on a mission and never came back. They never even found his body."

George didn't say anything.

Iris had tears in her eyes. "That's so sad."

Peach shrugged. "It was, but at least I had the other teachers to lean on. I couldn't imagine what would've happened if I had to go through that alone."

"Either way I wanna thank you guys. I don't think I coulda done this without you" George said.

Peach smiled. "Don't worry about it. I need to get back to my office. I've got all kinds of prep work to do for the tournament."

Iris waved her goodbye and walked with George. "She's so strong. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my kid."

"You thinking of having some?" George asked.

Iris looked away from George. "Don't be silly. We're still only first years."

He started laughing. "Don't tell me you never thought about it. You and me out in the country somewhere, a few kids running around, they'd have my eyes and your horns."

Iris smiled for a moment before shaking her head. "Anyway, what else do you want to do?"

George thought for a moment. There were several things he should be doing, but he felt like enjoying himself for now.

"You know if Team CFVY is still here?"

Iris racked her brain. "I saw Velvet walking around earlier. If she's here then the rest of them are here too. They usually stick together."

"Good to know. Where'd you see her at?"

"Near the shopping district."

George smiled from ear to ear. "Cool. I'll see you tonight."

Iris kissed George on the cheek. "Have fun."

OoOoOoO

George went to the commercial area to look for his opponents. Sure enough walking past the various shops was a girl with long brown hair and a pair of rabbit ears sticking out the top of her head. Next to her was a girl wearing sunglasses and a brown beret. From what George had heard that was the team's leader, Coco. Behind the two girls were a pair of men. One was dark-skinned and covered in scars, the other was as large as George. Each one of them was incredibly powerful. George couldn't help but smile.

He walked up to them and whistled. The four students turned toward him.

The one called Velvet eyed George suspiciously. "Do you need something?"

George put on his best smile. "I heard you guys kicked some serious ass. Now that I'm gettin' a good look at you I can see how."

The bereted girl laughed. "I appreciate the compliment, but that doesn't explain why you're here."

The big guy in the back looked George up and down. "I've heard of you. You've been going around picking fights with people all year. From what I hear you even challenged the teachers."

George laughed. "Didn't know I had a reputation."

Coco adjusted her glasses. "So we're next on your hit list?"

George nodded. "Hell yeah. Why wouldn't I wanna fight you?"

"Well I'm flattered, but I'm gonna have to turn you down."

George's smile faded for a brief second. "Why?"

"What's the point? We've got no reason to fight you."

George couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Course there's a point. We're all fighters aren't we? Why wouldn't want to know who's stronger?"

"If you really wanna go that badly then see us in the tournament. I'm not wasting my time just to feed your ego."

The four students began to walk away. George stood there silent. He hadn't expected to be turned down like that. There was a burning sensation deep in his stomach. He was close to losing his temper. That wouldn't do at all. If plan A failed then there was always plan B.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He walked past Team CFVY. As he was walking his arm flickered and in the next instant the girl with the rabbit ears was on the ground bleeding from her mouth. She wasn't moving. For a moment no one did anything. It was like the world stopped. The girl's other teammates looked at her on the ground and back at George.

George looked at them with a blank expression. His aura slowly built up around him. "Feel like fighting me now?"

Coco reached for her handbag. "You are so dead."

OoOoOoO

"What is wrong with you? I have enough to deal with without having to break up another one of your fights. You realize if I hadn't been in the city they likely would have beaten you to death? Not to mention all of the property damage I have to deal with. 'Oh it's no big deal how much stuff we destroy we can just call Glynda and she'll wave her magic wand and fix everything. Who cares that she's already dealing with preparations for the tournament on top of keeping all these students from killing each other out of boredom.' "

Glynda had spent the last fifteen minutes yelling at George. Her face was red and there was a vein pulsing in her temple. She'd been like that since she found George buried in the ground with all of Team CFVY beating on him.

George nodded while a nurse waved a hand over his body. He didn't understand why Glynda was so angry. He thought he was doing pretty well for a while. Coco's gun clearly wasn't meant to be used against a single opponent, and the big one's attacks could be seen from a mile away. The blind one's aura attacks were the only problem but they weren't that hard to deal with. He was holding his own pretty well until the rabbit girl got back up.

That was when the fight went sideways. He couldn't get a read on her at all. Every time it seemed like he was getting used to her style she switched to another one and caught him flatfooted. It was like fighting ten different people. She managed to get the upper hand and kept him occupied long enough for the rest of her team to finish him off. He couldn't help but smile. They were just as strong as he'd heard. Now there was only one person left.

"Sorry. Just felt something come over me" George said.

"Another thing. I've seen your record. Pyrrha, Team MRBL, Professors Peach, Port, and Oobleck, myself. You always pick opponents that you're certain to lose against."

George laughed. "What's the point in a fight if you already know who's gonna win? No offense to the school but most of these kids aren't really a challenge. Besides, losing is pretty fun too."

The nurse finished healing George's injuries. He got up and hugged the old woman. "Thanks again. You're a lifesaver."

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. "We will talk more about your conduct later Mr. Garwood."

George waved her goodbye. "Lookin' forward to it."

He strolled down the hallway. The only person left on his list was Yang, but that could wait a couple days. He had promised Iris that he'd spend more time with her.

When he got to Iris' room she was chatting with the rest of her team. They were going over their plans for the tournament.

Lotus was holding a sheet of paper in her hand. "The ones to watch out for are Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Team CFVY. We don't stand a chance against those guys."

Iris thought for a moment. "Even if we make it past the first round we'll come up against them eventually. And they're not the only ones. I heard Team CMEN is really strong too, and then there's Team SALT."

"Don't forget my team" George said.

Lotus groaned loudly. "What do you want George?"

"I came to grab Iris. But I'm curious, what about Team SALT?"

Yasmin looked at her scroll. "I have a friend who goes to Atlas Academy. Team SALT is near the top of the rankings. Schwarz himself has a record of fourteen wins and zero losses. His fighting skill is nothing to write home about, but his semblance is unbelievable."

George put a hand up. "Let me stop you right there. If my team ends up going against his I want it to be a surprise." He turned toward Iris. "If you're ready then we can go now."

Iris got up and took George's hand. "So where are we going?"

"Wherever you want. I'm yours for the night."

Iris giggled. "You're such a charmer." The two of them left the dorm.

Lotus made a gagging noise. "I can't stand that lovey-dovey crap."

Yasmin smiled. "I think they're a perfect couple."

Lala laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. "The bird and the ogre are hand in hand, dancing together."

Her other two teammates looked at her strangely.

Lotus raised an eyebrow at her. "You say the weirdest stuff."


	29. Stick Talk

"Is that right? Okay, I understand. No, it's not that shocking. I should have seen this coming honestly. No, thank you."

Maggie hung up her scroll and flopped back onto her bed. She had just obtained some new information. Staring up at the ceiling she took time to process it. It wasn't surprising at all. It had to happen eventually, she was shocked it took this long. The only problem was that she had no one to talk about this with. This wasn't something she wanted to bother Peach with, and she couldn't find Reid anywhere in the school. He wasn't in his room, the library, or anywhere he would usually hang out. It was like he had just disappeared.

Her teammates entered the room and interrupted her thoughts. Beans had just come back from shopping, and Rain had accompanied Love to a doctor's visit.

"Hey guys" Maggie said.

Each of them could tell something was wrong with their leader. All of the enthusiasm she had when she was killing bandits had completely evaporated.

"What's wrong?" Love asked.

"Nothing." The dejection in Maggie's voice was clear as day. Just like Reid she was terrible at lying.

"Don't be like that. Something's obviously bothering you" Rain rasped.

Maggie groaned. "Fine." She told her team about what she had just learned.

Love gasped. "Are they sure? Maybe it's a mistake."

Maggie looked annoyed. "I had them check twice, they're sure."

"Have you told anyone else?" Beans asked.

Maggie shook her head. "Peach doesn't need to know, and I haven't seen Reid in three days. He won't answer when I call him, he's not in his room when I go by. No one's seen him anywhere."

"Are you serious? You two were practically inseparable."

Maggie shrugged. "We were. I don't know what happened but now he won't talk to me."

Love looked like he was thinking about something. "Wait, if you haven't talked to him does that mean he doesn't know about the-." The sound of Maggie's growling and the glare she gave him caused his words to die in his throat.

"No, he doesn't know, and he doesn't need to know. You three are the only ones I've told about that, and I intend to keep it that way."

"If you say so, but you should talk to him."

Maggie sighed. "I would if I could." She laid back down and put her hands over her face. "I wish I knew why he's been avoiding me. Is it something I did?"

"Don't be stupid" Rain said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Maggie rolled onto her side. "Maybe I did."

Beans groaned in frustration. "God this is stupid. When did you become such a pussy? If you have to talk to him then go find him. If you can't find him then keep looking. Or are you just gonna lay in bed and mope for the rest of the year?"

Maggie looked up at Beans. His beady black eyes bored right into her. "You're right. I'm gonna go look for him again, and I'm not stopping until I find him."

She got out of bed and went for the door. Right before she left she hooked Beans hard in the stomach and sent him to the ground. "That's for calling me a pussy."

OoOoOoOo

The floor of the training field was streaked with blood. With the amount that covered the floor no one would believe that it had come from a single person.

Noah collapsed to the ground. Every part of his body was screaming in agony, but he had improved slightly. He needed every advantage he could get at this moment.

Thirty seconds, that was his limit. Any longer and he ran the risk of his heart giving out. But thirty seconds would be enough. Between him, Reid, and George there's no chance that they could lose.

It was so simple he was amazed he didn't figure it out sooner. There was no reason for Oriana to tell them about her last mission. She was the weakest person on the team, so the element of surprise was her greatest advantage. An ambush attack could even kill Reid and George if they didn't see it coming. But she had freely given it away. At first Noah didn't understand why. If her mission was to kill the three of them then they should be dead, but it's been three days since they got back and they're still alive. That's when he realized it.

She wanted to give them a fighting chance. If what she said was true then there was no way for her to refuse an order. If she was commanded to do something then it would get done, but they didn't tell her _how_ she should do it. Maybe it was a small act of defiance on her part, or maybe she didn't really want to kill her teammates.

It didn't matter in the end, he would either destroy Oriana or die trying.

Once Noah had recovered he resumed his training. After he finished he had collapsed to the ground again, hunched over and vomiting blood.

"Holy shit! Are you okay?"

He felt someone grab him and lift him up. Noah looked and saw that it was Maggie.

"I'm fine" Noah mumbled.

"My ass you're fine. You're bleeding all over and it sounds like your heart's about to explode. We need to get you to the nurse's office."

Maggie picked Noah up and carried him towards the door, but Noah pushed her away.

"I told you I'm fine. I just pushed myself a little too hard training."

He took a deep breath and felt his heart slow down. The technique he had invented was powerful, but wreaked havoc on his body.

"What are you doing here?" Noah asked.

"I'm looking for Reid. He's not anywhere in the school, so I'm just gonna look all over Vale until I find him."

Noah shook his head. Reid had come to the completely wrong conclusion. "Vale is pretty big. You might be looking for a while."

Maggie shrugged. "As long as I find him."

She turned to leave, paused, and turned back around. "Did something happen while you guys were away?"

Noah gave Maggie the abridged version of the events in Lakewood.

Maggie gasped. "I had no idea."

Noah sighed. "Reid's always been really sensitive, so something like that might take time for him to process. He definitely took what happened the hardest."

Maggie groaned. "All the more reason why I need to find him. You take care."

Maggie ran out of the training field.

Noah went back to his training. He didn't know how much time he had left, but he intended to make the most of it.

OoOoOoO

"So I notice it's been three days since you got back and your teammates are still alive. I hope you haven't gotten attached to them."

Oriana rolled her eyes. Her father had been bothering her every day since she had gotten back. Every day he would pester her about completing her mission, not caring at all about the intricacies of the job she was tasked with.

"Well, I do not know if you realized but I need to return to Atlas after the job is completed. Being detained in Vale would complicate that quite a bit. I think my three teammates dying would raise all sorts of questions I cannot answer. I will complete the mission, do not worry."

She ended the call and went into the store. As powerful as she was some preparation was required. Noah would be easy to deal with, but Reid and George were something else. By themselves they were a force to be reckoned with, together they were unstoppable. She would need every advantage she could get to prevail against them.

The old man behind the counter smiled at her when she walked in. "Welcome. How can I help you?"

Oriana gave the man a small curtsy. "Hello. I am in need of a katana with a black blade, as well as a grenade launcher."

The old man laughed. "A black blade? You must be into something serious. I'll look in the back."

After searching for a few minutes he returned to the front of the store with a sword in his hand, the blade the same deep black as Oriana's hair.

"That plus the grenade launcher will run you ten thousand lien. Though if you ask me a pretty girl like yourself shouldn't be carrying such dangerous weapons." the owner said, laughing.

Oriana ignored his comment and pulled a card out of her pocket with the Atlas military symbol stamped on the back.

The man's eyes widened. He saluted the young girl in a panic. "Please forgive me Major. I was unaware of your status."

Oriana smiled. The man's loyalty was admirable at the very least. "At ease. I am merely borrowing this card from my father."

The old man's face turned red. He coughed into his hand. "Oh. Forget you saw that then."

Oriana tried not to laugh as she paid for the weapons. Once she left the store she contacted her father.

He was surprised to hear from her. "What's up? You never call me."

"Do you recall the blueprints I recovered from Professor Whiskey's home?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"I need you to prepare item fifteen for me."

The man sputtered. "That thing? That'll get us all thrown in prison."

"Do you want me to complete my mission or not?"

"Fine, I'll tell the guys to put it together. I should have it out to you in a few days. A black blade and this shit, is that what you need for your teammates?"

"No, those items are for George."

"You need all that for one guy?"

"Nothing less will suffice. Goodbye."

Oriana disconnected the call. She held the sword out in front of her. The light reflected off of the blade.

Black blades were known for their unrivaled hardness. Their main drawback was that the material was difficult to channel aura through. Obviously that wasn't a problem for Oriana. She wasn't sure if this could defeat George's semblance, but between it and her own strength she might have a chance.

"Wow, that's some sword. You must really want someone dead."

Oriana didn't need to turn around to know that it was Maggie.

"Hello. What brings you here?"

Maggie was jogging in place. By how covered in sweat she was she likely had been running for over an hour. "I'm looking for Reid. He's not at school so I'm looking through the city. You haven't seen him have you?"

Oriana shook her head. Reid didn't even return to the dorm the day they got back. No one on his team had seen him at all. He had turned off his scroll so there was no way to contact him either. That was an obstacle Oriana would have to overcome eventually. Vale was a large city, and someone who didn't want to be found wouldn't be.

Maggie sighed. "Figures. So what's with the sword?"

Oriana tightened her grip on the blade's handle. With this sword she could sever Maggie's head with one swing. News of her death hitting the media would certainly draw Reid out of hiding. But that would require the strike to actually hit. Maggie would duck the instant she heard the blade move, and that would just make things awkward for everyone involved. Of course if the blow landed there would be the problem of murdering someone in the middle of the street in broad daylight. That idea died as quickly as it was born.

"There is something I need to kill." Oriana gave an honest answer.

Maggie laughed. "I hope you get it done. Well, I gotta get going. See you around."

Maggie sprinted away. When she wanted to be she was just as fast as Reid.

Oriana's brows furrowed. There was something strange about the readings Maggie was giving off. Her aura had spiked, but no amount of training could cause such a drastic increase in one week.

Of course, there was one way, but that wasn't something she felt comfortable talking about. Either way it wasn't her problem. That was between Maggie and Reid.

In any case there was still the mission. Oriana needed to think of a strategy. If she came at the three of them with anything less than a one hundred percent chance of victory she would be destroyed. Her teammates had a habit of getting out of tight situations.

Oriana smiled from ear to ear. The thought of fighting to the death with her teammates filled her with excitement. She couldn't recall the last time she had the chance to go all out against someone who could fight back. Whether she lived or died she was definitely going to enjoy herself.


	30. Ex Factor

Words did not do justice to the utterly abysmal year Hei Xiong was having. It all started with Roman Torchwick. In less than a month that man had a stranglehold on the Vale underground. Not even incarceration had loosened his grip. Shortly after he arrived his club was destroyed by a young girl and several of his men wound up in the hospital. Then after loaning some of his men out to Roman all of them ended up dead. Then after discovering that the one responsible was a teenage Hunter in training he ordered two assassins to take out her entire team. Hiring the two of them was incredibly expensive so he ended up taking a loss. To his surprise both of the killers he hired ended up dying to the people they were tasked with eliminating, so that was money he might as well have burned.

Between the costs to repair the club, hospital bills, funeral costs, and hiring the two assassins he had taken a loss of several million Lien over the course of the year.

And now to top it all off who should show up at his bar but one of the kids who took out his killers, completely oblivious to who the man behind the counter really was.

Now that he had gotten a good look at the boy he could see why the assassins failed. They greatly underestimated their opponents. Truth be told this kid was kind of goofy looking. He was unhealthily skinny, his eyes were constantly darting all over the place like he was scared someone would find him, and every few minutes he'd start crying and then drink some more. Anyone who saw him like this would never guess how powerful he really was.

Of course even if they did know that they would have trouble connecting the hardened warrior they'd heard about with the boy sobbing into his whiskey that was sitting at the counter.

One of Junior's henchmen tried to console the boy, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Kid, I know how you feel, but you shouldn't be running away from your problems. Maybe they aren't as bad as you think they are."

The kid sniffled loudly. "It's not just me, I don't want her to get caught up in it. She's been so good to me, she doesn't deserve any of this."

"Think about how she's feeling. You disappear for a week and when you come back you won't go near her. If this girl's that important to you she'd want to know about what's troubling you."

The boy laid his head on the counter. "I know. There's so much I want to tell her, but I don't know how. I don't know what to do."

"If I were you I'd get it done soon. You never know what might happen, and nothing would be worse than leaving things unsaid."

The boy sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't be putting this off. I'm gonna go back and tell her everything."

"Oh good, I thought I'd have to beat it out of you."

That voice didn't belong to anyone in the conversation. Sitting next to the boy was a young girl with pointed ears sticking out of her head. None of them heard her approach. This girl was clearly used to sneaking up on people.

She glared at the boy sitting next to her. "You're getting rusty. You never let me get the drop on you before."

The boy visibly tensed up. "Maggie! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, dumbass. Just so you know I spent the last five hours running all over the city trying to find you."

The boy shifted in his seat. The girl grabbed his shoulder and squeezed tight.

"If you try and run away again I'll break your legs."

She said it so casually, but everyone around her knew she was serious.

No way was Junior letting his club get destroyed a second time. "If you two are gonna start fighting then you need to take it outside."

The girl gave him a friendly smile. "No need to worry about that, I just want to talk to him."

She grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him out the door.

Junior exhaled in relief. While he was glad that they had taken their lover's spat away from his club part of him felt bad for that boy. That girl looked ready to kill him on the spot.

The large man shrugged. Not dealing with that sort of thing was one of the benefits of being single.

OoOoOoO

Maggie led Reid to a secluded alley a few blocks away from the club. She hadn't said a word since they started walking. Reid could tell that she was furious. It was that same quiet anger he felt when they first met.

Reid's heart was ready to jump out of his chest. He'd spent days agonizing over not seeing Maggie, but now she was right in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

"Hold out your hand" she said.

"What?"

"Hold out your hand."

Reid extended his hand toward her. She held his hand in hers, then opened her mouth wide and bit down hard onto his fingers.

"Ow! What was that for?" Reid shouted.

"That's for ignoring me for so long. Noah told me what happened on your mission. What makes you think I'd want you going through that alone?"

Reid hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. The real reason I came to look for you is I want to tell you something."

"What?"

Maggie looked up at the sky. "You heard about what happened to the central square right?"

Reid nodded. "A bunch of Grimm got into the city right?"

"Yeah. Except what the public doesn't know is that the White Fang set off a train bomb to let them in. It was supposed to be a full scale assault, except most of them didn't make it into the city. Anyway, they finished pulling all the bodies out of the tunnels that they could identify. One of them was my dad."

Reid's eyes widened. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, he made his choice. I begged him to come with me when I left, but he didn't want to. Being a terrorist was more important to him than being a father. The reason I'm telling you this is because you're starting to remind me of him. He stopped talking about things, got all withdrawn, next thing I know I was next to him planting bombs and shooting people. It was so gradual that I never noticed. You went through some traumatic shit and I had to hear about it from your teammate because you wouldn't talk to me. I've told you things about me that I've never told anyone else, but you won't talk to me when something's wrong with you." She didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face. "I thought maybe I did something wrong, that I had driven you away somehow."

Reid looked down at the ground. He was so ashamed of himself. How could he hurt the girl he loved like this?

He looked at his hand, covered in bite marks. He held up his other hand and bit down into it until he tasted blood.

"What are you doing?" Maggie asked, horrified.

Reid wiped the blood from his mouth. "I'm apologizing. I was so wrapped up in my own shit that I didn't think of how you would feel. There's so much I wanted to tell you but I guess I was just afraid. I'm such a piece of shit."

That's when it hit him. He had agonized for so long about what he should say, when all along he should have just told her the truth.

Reid took a deep breath. "I've been lying to you. Before I came to Vale I was in prison in Atlas. I was released and enrolled in Beacon as a cover for my real job as an assassin. That murder in that office building at the beginning of the year was me. Altogether I think my team has killed about seventy people. Now that my job is over the people who set me free want me dead. I've been avoiding you because I didn't want you to get caught up in it."

Maggie looked at Reid like he had grown a second head. She had known him long enough to know that he was terrible at lying, but the complete and utter sincerity in his words had still thrown her off.

"You're an assassin? Wait, does that mean you were holding back all those times we fought? You dick!"

" _That's_ what you're upset about?"

"No, I'm upset about a lot of things, but that stuck out the most. Here I was thinking I was hot shit for being able to keep up with you, except it turns out you could have killed me anytime you wanted to."

Reid threw his hands up. "I don't like killing people, and I'd never try to kill you."

Maggie scoffed. "I've heard you crying in your sleep enough times to know that you don't enjoy hurting people. You said the rest of your team's in on it too?"

Reid sighed. "Yeah, we all got pulled from the same prison. Except now we're marked. I don't know when it's happening but they're planning on killing all four of us."

Maggie shook her head. "You've got a lot of nerve just dumping that on me. I was so ready to stay mad at you too."

"I'm sorry, really. I shouldn't have kept something like that from you."

Maggie looked at Reid. He had just confessed to being a murderer but this was the calmest he'd ever been. It was surreal.

"Why don't you try fighting back?"

Reid grabbed Maggie by the shoulders and looked directly at her. "These are not people you can fight against. They will do anything to get what they want, and they'll destroy anything that gets in their way. What happened while I was on that mission wasn't just some random Grimm attack. They had built a device that attracts Grimm and tricked us into testing it for them. They had built something awful and wiped out an entire village just to make sure it worked properly."

Maggie recoiled at the genuine fear in his eyes. "So that's it then, you're just gonna roll over and die?"

Reid sighed. "It's what I deserve. People who do what I did don't get to just walk away."

"Nobody deserves to die!" Maggie snapped.

Reid hung his head, his words barely louder than a whisper. "I do."

Maggie grabbed Reid by the collar. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Reid couldn't meet Maggie's eyes. "After my parents died I lost it. I ended up with these people who really hated Faunus. They wanted to start a war to wipe them all out. One night they had me prove that I was down with the cause. They gave me a bomb and told me to go burn down this building. I think it was a homeless shelter. I was so fucking angry that I didn't even think about what I was doing. I threw it through a window and then I heard all this screaming. Then they started pulling bodies out and they were all black."

Maggie let go of Reid and watched him fall to his knees. Several thoughts were running through her head, but one was the most prominent.

"That was you?"

Reid looked up at Maggie. "What?"

Maggie's aura exploded. The alleyway filled with a blinding white light.

Reid recoiled in fear. The animosity she was radiating pierced him through. He tried to back away but found Maggie's hand wrapped around his throat.

"I heard about that all the way out here. I didn't think anyone was so evil that they could murder a bunch of children. We were all ready to go to war over that."

Reid could only let out choking noises in response. Maggie's grip was like a vise. Black spots appeared at the edge of his vision. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

Maggie tightened her grip, but then she was struck by a moment of hesitation. Something Reid had said a long time ago echoed in her head. "Wait, how old were you when your parents died?"

She let go of Reid and he fell to the ground coughing.

Reid rubbed his neck. "I was ten. I got sent to prison when I was twelve."

Maggie looked down at the ground. She screamed and punched a hole in a nearby wall. "Why do you make it so hard to be mad at you?" she shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Reid asked.

"You were just a kid, anyone would be angry if their parents died. Those people preyed on you to get you to do something horrible."

Reid shook his head. "You think that makes it any better? Those people, those kids are dead because of me. Whenever it gets quiet I hear people screaming. Every time I close my eyes I see those bodies. Every night when I go to sleep I go back to that night and no matter how much I want to do something different I do the same thing every time."

Maggie slumped against a wall. "Yeah, stuff like that sticks with you. I can't hold that against you anyway. I got up to some heinous shit myself when I was in the Fang." She laughed ruefully. "I guess we're both a couple of fuckups."

Reid laughed as well. "Well, sooner or later it all catches up with you."

The two sat there in silence for several minutes. Each of them thinking about what they should do. A myriad of thoughts ran through their heads.

In the back of her mind Maggie knew that this would likely be the last time she would speak to Reid. While she knew he needed to face justice for his crimes part of her simply wanted him to live. Most of his life was having violence forced upon him against his will. Despite how much he agonized over it he was made to kill again and again. As much as she hated to admit it she cared more about his well-being than what he had done. If she didn't, the words she said next would never have come out of her mouth.

"Let's run."

"What?" Reid said, confused.

"We should run away. We can go to Menagerie. No one would think to look for you there. Just show people your scar and they'll accept you no problem."

Reid thought for a moment. He could just run away and start a new life somewhere else. He wouldn't have to fight anymore. He wouldn't have to kill anymore. He could start a family with Maggie and not have anything to worry about. But as much as that appealed to him he couldn't abandon his teammates to their fate. That wasn't him. No one who had done what he had done could just get away with it in the end.

"I can't. I can't just run away from all this. I need to stand up and face what's coming."

Maggie sighed. "I figured. So that's it then."

"One more thing, I don't think we should see each other anymore. When it does happen I don't want you getting hurt just because you're near me."

Maggie's heart sank. She took several deep breaths to calm down. "You're breaking up with me?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

Maggie didn't let her feelings show on her face. She needed to be as strong as Reid was. "Nothing lasts forever I guess."

She got up and went to leave the alley. As she was walking she stopped and turned around. There was one last thing that she could say to convince Reid to live. Just a few words and he'd throw away any thoughts of dying. It'd be a simple thing. But when she opened her mouth, those weren't the words that came out.

"I'll always love you. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

She ran from the alley, leaving Reid alone.

He sat up against the wall and looked up at the sky. This had gone exactly how he had planned. Now he could die without hurting anyone.

There was zero chance of Oriana being able to kill him. Reid knew that if he fought seriously there's no way he would lose. But he didn't want to win. He'd been denied his chance to die far too many times to let this one slip away.

The first time was the night he had gotten arrested. He thought playing the role of a remorseless killer would goad one of the officers into taking the law into their own hands. He was severely beaten, and one of the officers had a gun to his temple. He didn't know what made them pause, but they decided sending him to prison would be a better punishment.

The second time was when he was stabbed in prison. The assailant missed his heart by an inch, but when he raised his weapon for a second strike, he stopped and walked away. Maybe he saw the desperation on Reid's face and decided to prolong his suffering.

The third time was the night in the village. He was certain that would work. Bleeding, injured, surrounded by Grimm. But he didn't think his semblance would activate while he was unconscious. That hurt the most. Even after all that he still couldn't die.

Now there was a prime opportunity right in front of him. He could finally be free of the stress, the nightmares, and the hell he had been forced into.

He was tired, and ready for some rest.

OoOoOoO

"It's okay, it's okay. Just let it all out."

Iris was used to being in this position, laying down with someone crying into her chest. Growing up the younger children of her village saw her as a motherly figure. They would confide in her whatever troubles they were having and she would console them. Usually it was grief over losing a loved one to Grimm or illness. Today it was just a heartbroken girl. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but now she was in her room laying on her bed consoling Maggie as she cried her eyes out.

Maggie choked on her sobs, her tears staining Iris' shirt. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to talk to Reid so they could reconcile and spend the rest of their life together. Instead he had told her that he was going to die and broke up with her for good measure. She didn't think it was possible to cry this much, but she did.

She was crying for all kinds of reasons. She truly loved Reid and didn't want to be separated from him. She didn't want him to die, and she hated how resigned he was to his fate.

But what hurt her most was the fact that she was going to have to raise her child alone.


	31. Mortal Man

George sat in the locker room, his hands shaking. He'd never been so nervous in his life. He wasn't afraid, he just wasn't sure he wasn't dreaming again. Less than a week ago he'd been in the middle of the desert not knowing if he'd live to see another day. Now he was in an arena in Mistral about to debut as a professional fighter. He'd been staying in a hotel for a week, but every night when he went to sleep he thought he'd wake up back in Vacuo.

The old man handed him a bottle of water. "You scared?"

George shook his head. "Still don't feel real. Figured I'd be dead before I ended up here."

The old man laughed. "This ain't a dream, kid. You're about to take a chance most kids your age would kill for. Course you've already done your fair share of killing."

A young woman entered the room. "They're ready for you Mr. Garwood."

George nodded and got up. "Wish Nene and the others could see this."

"Told you to forget about them. Your old life is over, this is the first day of your new life," the old man replied.

George understood what he meant, but he didn't want to forget them. They were the reason he was even here in the first place. If it weren't for them he'd probably be someone's slave right now. Then there was Nene. If it weren't for her he would have died years ago. It wasn't until the night before he left that she told him about her semblance. It made sense why she wanted to keep it a secret. If anyone found out about her healing powers she'd instantly have a target on her back. They were powerful enough to bring George back from the brink of death with no ill effects. The bosses in Vacuo would kill for a power like that. Of course they would kill for no reason at all, but that's beside the point.

He made his way to the ring. Even in the back he could hear the people cheering. The cold steel floor under his feet was a stark contrast to the burning sand he was used to. Making his way down the runway he was blinded by the flashing lights and deafened by the roar of the crowd. He got into the ring and saw his opponent.

George could tell this kid was strong. He'd likely spent years training for this moment. But he didn't stand a chance against someone who'd spent their life fighting life or death battles.

The announcer shouted into the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen welcome to tonight's match. We here at the Remnant Fighting Federation are proud to present this special match in our Under-15 League. In the red corner, hailing from Vacuo, in his debut match, George Garwood!"

The roaring cheers of the crowd put George on edge. He wasn't quite comfortable with so many people knowing his name. But that was just an effect of how he used to live. He needed to put that behind him.

"And his opponent, with a record of five wins and three losses, Joseph Verde!"

George and his opponent walked towards each other. Each one looked the other up and down. Joseph was smiling ear to ear. A bell rang and the fight begun.

It was over before George knew what happened. He just punched as hard as he could and Joseph went down.

"And a stunning first round knockout by our newcomer!" one of the commentators shouted. The crowd exploded with applause.

George didn't know how to feel. This was much easier than he thought it would be.

George and Joseph stood in the center of the ring and shook hands. Joseph was smiling even though he lost. George didn't understand it at all.

He went back to the locker room and laid down on a bench. If it was this easy why didn't he do this from the start?

The old man was doubled over with laughter. "Fuck me, you nearly knocked his head off."

George grunted and got up. "Gonna walk around for a bit."

He traveled through the large arena but didn't find anything interesting. He walked down a hallway and turned a corner. Then his heart stopped.

It was her. He'd recognize that long red hair and emerald green eyes anywhere. He'd seen her videos so many times that it was impossible not to. The only difference was the golden championship belt she had slung over her shoulder.

He wanted to say something to her but she was surrounded by her entourage. There was a man he recognized as her manager, another who was her trainer, two people who looked like her parents, and a gaggle of press vying for her attention.

He walked past her without trying to talk to her. As the two of them passed each other their eyes met. Pyrrha gave George a slight smile. His heart fluttered. If it were possible he'd be red like a tomato. He waved at her, grinning like an idiot.

She gave a small wave back, but kept walking without saying a word.

He went back to the locker room and got dressed. There were so many people he wanted to tell about this. He grabbed his scroll and dialed the number for his friends. There was only one number since they all shared a scroll.

But instead of one of his friends answering the call it was a man who he had rarely spoken to.

"New phone, who dis?"

"Duck? The fuck you doin' wit Nene's scroll?"

"George? Aw shit, I heard you left, now you some big shot fighter or some shit."

"Don't give me the 'too good for the hood' shit. Where're Nene and them?"

Cloud was quiet for a long time. "They gone man."

Everything stopped. George couldn't hear anything. Not the soft blowing of the vents, the buzzing lights, the distant crowd. Nothing reached his ears except the person on the other end of the line.

The next few months were a blur. He learned several things after the fact. Nene and three others were dispatched to eliminate a rival warrior, but failed in their mission. Cheddar executed them for their failure and dumped their bodies in the desert. It wasn't surprising. They lost because they were weak, and they were killed because they were weak. Even before they all became friends each one knew that they would likely die young.

However, that was just a lie George told himself. They died because he wasn't there to help them. If he was there they wouldn't have died. He abandoned his friends, and now they were dead. This was all his fault, and nothing anyone said could change that.

George felt that the least he could do for his friends was avenge them. He apologized to the old man and went back to Vacuo.

Killing Cheddar was easy, all it cost him was his eye.

Killing the man that Nene had failed to take out was easy too. He didn't even get a scratch.

It was all so easy. It was all so easy.

That just made him more frustrated. If it was so easy why didn't he do it sooner? Why did he spend so much of his life under the heel of someone so weak?

Questions like that ran through his mind for weeks. He wandered through the desert before arriving at a settlement. He saw some slightly older kids wearing the uniform for Shade Academy, or rather what passed for a uniform. He saw one young man laughing with his friends. He looked happy, fulfilled, and content.

George looked at the young man and felt a burning in his stomach. His vision went white and next thing he knew he was standing over a dead body. It was covered in injuries indicating it had been punched to death.

George had felt a range of emotions when he had killed in the past. He had felt relief at surviving, gratitude in his own skills, disappointment when a fight ended sooner than he wanted it to. But this was the first time he had ever felt remorse after killing someone.

This was a person he didn't even know, who had done nothing to him, and George had killed him in a fit of anger. At that moment he wasn't any different from Cheddar or the other members of the gang.

He didn't put up a fight when the authorities came for him. He spent his days in prison meditating and slowly building his strength. He wanted to be stronger, but not for himself. He wanted to find something worth using his strength for. He thought about possibly becoming a hunter. He'd used his strength to kill people, maybe he could use it to protect people instead.

Years later he'd be put on an airship to Atlas, and his life would take another, slightly worse turn.

OoOoOoOoO

George finished meditating and walked through the empty school building. Tomorrow the Vytal festival would begin, so this was his last chance to scratch the final name off of his list. He knew she was strong when he met her, but he waited because he knew she could get even better. From what he had heard over the course of the year his hunch was correct.

He turned a corner and found himself face to face with his target, a busty blonde with lilac eyes and gold bracers around her wrists.

Yang Xiao Long, Team RWBY's muscle and rank 2 first year.

George whistled at her. "Damn girl you lookin' fine as fuck."

Yang rolled her eyes at him. "Oh look, its Beacon's biggest loser. What do you want?"

George chuckled. "Don't be like that. I was lookin' for you, thought maybe we could have some fun."

"I'm gonna have to say no. You can have fun by yourself."

George gave a lecherous smile. "You sayin' I don't turn you on?"

Yang looked disgusted. "I don't think you can measure up."

George roared with laughter. "I got it where it counts. Gimme a chance and I'll blow your mind."

Yang snorted. "I think we both know I'll just end up disappointed, so why don't I just save us both some time and walk away?"

George shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Yang walked past him. George figured she couldn't be baited that easily. The approach he was used to wouldn't work here.

"Maybe I can ask that other girl, her name's Ruby right? But I don't know, she's kinda small. I don't think she can take me."

Instantly the air became scorching hot. Yang turned around and faced George, her eyes a deep crimson.

George gave her his friendliest smile. "That got your attention huh?"

Yang and George walked toward each other. The air crackled with energy. George's wide smile was a sharp contrast to Yang's furious scowl. Their clashing powers sent cracks through the tile floor.

They were a foot away from each other. Neither one wanted to make the first move. For what felt like hours they stared each other down.

Both fighters threw a punch at the same time. Their fists collided, the impact shattered all of the windows in the hallway.

The two jumped back and took a second to asses each other before charging forward again.

Yang's arm shot out like a rocket and clashed with George's forearm. If striking solid steel bothered her at all she didn't show it. She sent another punch upwards towards his chin. He dodged it by a hair and stepped forward to strike. She ducked under his punch and rocketed up towards the ceiling. Once she was above George she used her gauntlets to accelerate downward and deliver a crushing blow right onto his head.

George was seeing stars. Anyone else would have been knocked out. His next move was instinct. Less than a second after the blow connected he grabbed Yang by the arm and slammed her into the ground. She was barely able to shoot out of the way before George's foot crashed into the space previously occupied by her head, completely destroying that part of the floor. She sprang to her feet and stared George down, a slight smile on her face.

"Not bad. Maybe you won't bore me after all."

George shook his head vigorously. It'd been a while since he'd taken a blow like that.

This was the real reason he had waited until now to challenge Yang. She was just like him. She fought for fun. For her there was no greater pleasure than testing her skill against an equal opponent.

She was what George always wanted to be. He loved Beacon, here he could fight as much as he wanted without worry. He didn't have to worry about dying or killing. He could defeat an opponent knowing that they had the chance to become even stronger. He could challenge an impossible foe and survive. It was pure bliss. If he had been born somewhere else maybe he could have been like her.

He flooded his fists with his aura and ran at her. She jumped clear over his head and landed behind him. She fired her weapon and punched George hard in the back.

George didn't move. He didn't even flinch. His semblance had stopped her punch dead.

Yang grimaced. She felt a couple fingers crack after that last attack.

In the next instant George spun and elbowed Yang in the side of the head and sent her into a wall. She didn't have time to react. George kept up the attack and punched her head into the wall until it was halfway buried. Yang's arms hung limp at her side.

George flexed a bit. "You're not all that. Maybe I'll get more out of your teammates. I like the look of that Blake girl especially."

George walked away. He had seen enough of her fights to know that that wasn't nearly enough to put her down. He needed her to fight at full power, and a little more provocation would be all he needed.

Just as he predicted the hallway filled with flames. Yang was back up, and she wasn't smiling anymore.

George couldn't breathe. Every breath he took hurt like hell. The ends of his dreads were singed. Right now she was even more powerful than Pudding. He could hardly wait to see what she would do.

Yang moved before George realized it. She swung a right hook right at George that he blocked with an arm. There was a screeching sound, like metal giving way. George's arm burned. There was a scorch mark where the blow had landed, but that didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that his arm was now broken.

He couldn't help but be impressed. Yang blasted right through his aura and his semblance in one blow. That was worthy of praise.

He was surprised at how little it hurt. Maybe it was adrenaline. It was bent at an unnatural angle and a bit of bone was sticking out through the skin. He reset the bone and enveloped his arm in his aura and his injury was healed.

The process of repairing his arm took less than a second, so he was ready to defend when Yang attacked again. That readiness did nothing to help him as Yang buried her fist in his stomach. George coughed up blood and flew backwards. His feet skidded along the ground and he came to a stop just as Yang prepared another attack. She exploded towards him, fist extended.

George met her attack head on with one of his own. The force of their collision destroyed what was left of the floor. Unabated George threw another right. Yang took it head on without flinching. Her semblance amplified her defensive abilities as well. George couldn't help but feel that was a little unfair.

He tried attacking her again, but Yang's fist met his and his attack was halted.

No, it was forced back. Yang had completely overpowered him. George's fist went flying backwards. He was wide open for what came next.

Time stopped. George's mind went into overdrive trying to think of a way out. He didn't have time to prepare a next move. Yang's burning fist was already speeding towards him. All he could do was defend.

He took everything he had left and activated his semblance. He knew that wasn't enough. He needed to be harder. Harder. Harder. Harder.

Something changed. There was a sound like steel scraping against steel. Yang's eyes widened with shock.

George's skin had changed color. It was a deep black, and reflected the light coming from the ceiling. His semblance had evolved. He wasn't as hard as steel, he had become steel. No, his new form was even harder than that.

Yang's fist crashed into his transformed body. George didn't feel it at all. Yang grimaced. The blow was nullified.

Yang screamed and attacked again, and again, and again. She delivered an endless flurry of powerful punches with blinding speed. It was like she was a performer beating on a giant drum. The rhythmic sound of her fists colliding with his metal body was almost calming.

Then something changed. George began to feel dull hints of pain in his stomach. He realized too late what was happening. Yang wasn't just striking blindly, she was targeting the same spot every time. The incredible strength behind her blows combined with the heat of her aura greatly weakened the metal. There was a terrible screeching noise, and George's metal body cracked. Bits of black metal littered the floor.

George couldn't believe it. He had mistakenly believed that Yang was his equal, but she made it perfectly clear the gulf between the two of them. He wanted to be happier, but part of him was deeply saddened. If he had more time he could have fought her as many times as he wanted. Maybe in his next life he'll see her again.

Yang delivered one last devastating blow that shattered the metal around George's body and sent him flying down the hallway and through a wall. George couldn't move a muscle. He had been completely defeated.

As he felt his consciousness slip away, his smile was larger than ever. One last thought crossed his mind before the darkness engulfed him.

This was the greatest fight he'd ever had.

* * *

 **AN- Well that was something. To be honest the real reason I saved this fight for last is because this was the one I was most dreading to write. When I first started this story I didn't have any idea of what I wanted George's character to be. All I had in mind when I first thought him up was "evil Yang". Hopefully I managed to move him out of the box I had him in at the start. A lot of characters changed drastically from how I first thought they would be. Especially Reid. I don't think I'd have any readers at all if I kept Reid how I initially planned.**

 **Anyway the next chapter will kick off the final arc of the story, so look forward to that. Bad news is that I won't be updating as consistently as I used to. Real life is getting in the way of my writing. I do plan on finishing this, it'll just take a bit longer. Feel free to fave, review, and send me abusive PMs. Have a great day.**


	32. Fightin Words

The day of the Vytal Festival was finally here. The entire city was buzzing with excitement. Students from all across Remnant were chomping at the bit for their chance to show the world what they were made of.

On the other hand, there were students who had already been eliminated. One such group was lounging at a food stand in the fairgrounds.

Yasmin sighed dejectedly. "That sucked."

Iris tried to be optimistic. "Don't be like that. It wasn't that bad."

Lotus snorted. "We got fucking washed. We looked like a bunch of rookies."

"We are rookies."

Lala poked at her food absentmindedly. "So many swords."

Their fight against Team PNCL was one of the most disastrous fights of their career. A single girl with short orange hair was all it took to best the four Beacon students. Her control over her dozen floating swords was that of a master. None of the members of Team LILY could believe that that was the performance of a first year student. Despite their best efforts they were easily defeated.

Lotus decided to change the subject. "Is Maggie okay?"

Team MRBL had missed their match against Team CRDL earlier in the day. Maggie was clearly still torn up over Reid breaking up with her.

Iris sighed. "She's doing better now. This whole thing sucks. I thought Reid was better than that."

Lotus rolled her eyes. "I've seen it before. Soon as a guy gets what they want they just toss the girl to the wayside."

"It's not like that!" Iris snapped.

"You sure? This is looking real familiar from where I'm standing. Boy falls in love with a girl, then once he gets his nut he starts looking for greener pastures."

Iris wanted to argue back, but Maggie wouldn't go into any detail as to why she and Reid broke up. This hurt more than she thought it would. Maggie was her friend, the two of them would spend most of their free time talking about the men in their lives. Maggie could go on and on for hours about how much she loved Reid. Even now she still did. Iris thought that Maggie and Reid would be together for a long time, the thought of them coming apart never even occurred to her.

The four of them sat in silence. None of them felt like talking further.

Lotus saw a group of approaching students and groaned. "Speaking of."

"Wassup" George said. He was with the rest of his team on their way to their match. George was none the worse for wear after his fight with Yang. If anything he looked better than before.

Iris waved at George with a smile. Her eyes went to Reid and her expression shifted to one of raw, unfiltered disgust. It was like she was looking at human garbage.

Noah shuddered. "Damn, _I_ felt that. The fuck did you do Reid?"

Reid looked at Iris. "Do you have some kind of problem?"

Iris got up from her seat and stomped towards Reid. "Do I have a problem?"

She grabbed Reid by the collar and lifted him up off the ground. Reid often forgot because of how… wide Iris was, but her strength was on par with George's.

"You know the only reason Peach hasn't ripped your head off is because Maggie begged her not to? Even after you threw her away like trash she's still looking out for you."

Reid's feet dangled helplessly. "I didn't throw her away, and how is it any of your business?"

Iris punched Reid in the face and sent him crashing into the ground. "It's my business because she's my friend. I held her while she spent the whole day crying because of you. How could you do that to her? I thought you were a better person than that."

Iris' fists were balled up and her eyes were welling up with tears.

Reid wiped blood from his mouth. He reached inside and pulled out a tooth. "You wouldn't understand."

"Then why don't you explain it to me."

Reid looked up at her. "I don't have to explain shit to you."

Iris' aura flared. She looked like she was about to attack Reid again.

George got in between the two of them. "Can't say I really care what this is about, but if my buddy and my girl are about to throw down I gotta get mixed in."

The others lost their will to fight. Reid got up and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "I didn't want it to end up like this, honest."

Iris shook her head. "I'm not the one who you should apologize to." She turned to walk away when she thought of something. "Did Maggie tell you?"

Reid was confused. "Tell me what?"

Iris understood immediately. This was obviously bigger than she thought at first. Maggie kept that from him for a reason, and Reid wouldn't even consider leaving her if he knew. "I see. I'm sorry for hitting you."

She and the rest of her team walked away. The tension in the air had completely evaporated.

"What the hell just happened?" Noah asked.

"Nothing, just getting what I got coming" Reid said.

George sighed. "Shame you and Maggie broke up. You two were pretty good together."

"Couldn't let her get caught up in our shit. Come on, our match is starting soon."

The three of them made their way to the arena. As they walked onto the stage they were assaulted by a wall of sound. The stands were filled with hundreds of cheering spectators. Professor Port shouted into his microphone and introduced the fighters.

"Ladies and gentlemen all across Remnant, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament! We're about to begin another exciting match. Making their way to the stage, these rambunctious troublemakers have been making waves all across Vale. Led by Noah Pyrite, Team NGRO of Beacon!"

Professor Oobleck gave a quick summary of the fighters. "Yes they are certainly an interesting team. Challenging everyone around them to a fight, battling assassins, pulling pranks, they've done quite a lot for a group of first years. Although it appears that they're short a member. Where is Ms. Blackstone?"

Port laughed. "It doesn't matter. If they want a handicap then that's their prerogative. Now, their opponents. They are undefeated at their home school, and their leader is one of the favorites to win the tournament. Led by Schwarz Gemini, Team SALT of Atlas!"

Reid tapped his chin. "I swear I've heard that name before."

The three beacon students took stock of their opponents. Standing in the center was Schwarz with his hands in his pockets and a distant smile on his face. Near the back was his partner Terra, a tall, thin man with short brown hair and a long scar across his neck.

The other two were strange looking. The one who could be identified as Aidan was about the same height as Reid. That was the only thing that could be determined about him. His entire body was covered in bandages. His arms, his legs, even his face. He was like a mummy. He held a large black machete in his right hand.

Reid winced looking at the boy. He felt a strange heat on him. Even though Aidan's eyes were covered up by bandages Reid couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was staring right at him.

Then there was the last one. A girl wearing a black dress and a sheer dark veil over her face. The only indicator that she was female were the curves that showed through her outfit. Every inch of her body was covered up. Her right arm was gone, the empty dress sleeve flapping in the breeze. Three floating hands were circling her body.

"Now then, it's time to choose the field."

A roulette wheel appeared on one of the monitors. Two panels flipped between configurations before landing on a selection.

"And it's the lake and forest combination!"

The ground opened up and in seconds Noah and his team were standing by a lake. The other team was in the middle of the forest.

"How do you guys wanna play this?" Noah asked.

"I'll take Schwarz and the other guy" George said.

"I get the feeling Mr. Bandage is gonna come to me" Reid said as he hefted his shovel.

Noah drew his guns. "Then that leaves me with the girl. Cool."

The buzzer sounded and the match began.

George shot like a rocket into the forest and enveloped his fist in black armor. It sped towards Schwarz's face. Schwarz didn't even blink, he just spoke a single word.

" **Stop."**

George stopped in his tracks. He couldn't move a muscle. This wasn't anything he had heard of. Schwarz gave him a friendly smile.

"You look just as strong as I've heard. Tell you what, in the interest of fairness I won't fight just yet. If you can defeat my other teammates, then I'll step in. Sound good?"

George knew he was being toyed with. He couldn't even talk back. All he could do was watch helplessly as Schwarz walked to the edge of the arena and sat down.

Terra sighed. "I swear I don't get him sometimes. No point in dragging this out when he could end it all himself."

George could move again. He summoned his aura and calmed himself down. "I guess your boss is pretty strong. All the more reason why I gotta take you out quick."

Reid raised his shovel and in an instant found Aidan in his face. Reid jumped back. He didn't even see the boy move. When his feet hit the ground Aidan was right in front of him swinging his machete at Reid's neck. Reid raised his shovel to block the attack. There it was again. The bandaged boy didn't move a muscle, but he had managed to travel several feet. It wasn't speed, the movement was instantaneous.

"Your semblance is teleportation isn't it?" Reid asked.

"Got it in one" Aidan replied.

Noah and the girl walked towards each other. The hands circled the girl's body in a steady orbit.

The girl gave a short bow. "Greetings. I am Leila. I hope that we can both enjoy this battle."

Noah laughed. "You know, I love a girl with manners."

Noah fired his weapons. The floating hands surrounding the girl's body extended their palms and projected barriers of black aura. The bullets shattered and fell to the ground in pieces. The hands formed a fist and sped towards Noah. Noah shot at them, but they evaded the bullets and slammed into his stomach. Noah coughed and tried to regain his composure. Two fists hit him in the back while the third landed right in his face. They were the thin hands of a young girl, but they hit like a wrecking ball.

He stomped the ground and the earth beneath his feet shifted and formed a barrier behind him. At least one vector of attack was closed off.

That's what he thought at least, as he felt something burn his back. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground.

"And that's a devastating attack from Leila!" Port shouted.

Noah was on the ground coughing. He looked at one of the monitors and watched a replay. Two of the hands floated behind his barrier and fired a large beam of aura that pierced right through it. Noah clicked his teeth in frustration. He'd greatly underestimated his opponent.

"Looks like I'll have to go all out."

The cloth covering Leila's face shifted slightly. "To say that I am worthy of your full effort, I do not deserve such praise."

Reid couldn't keep up with his opponent. Aidan fell into a steady rhythm of attacking, teleporting, and attacking again. The instant Reid blocked an attack from the front he had to defend from the back and sides as well. This wasn't something he was used to. He waited for his chance. Aidan appeared in front of him and swung his machete. Reid didn't try to block it. Instead he raised his shovel and pulled the trigger. A shell blasted Aidan in the face and sent him to the ground. The bandages around his face were burned. Aidan tore them off, revealing a normal looking face. His yellow eyes were filled with a kind of hate Reid was more than familiar with. It was the way he used to look at Faunus.

"What's your fucking problem?" Reid said. He charged at the boy and swung down. That was a mistake. Aidan was above him, and he struck Reid in the back and sent him into the ground. This wasn't working.

Reid tried to think of something, but was coming up short. Aidan's semblance wasn't like Flare's. He didn't need to perform any specific action to activate it, he just could. Reid couldn't hope to keep up with instant teleportation.

Reid sighed. "Man, this sucks. Why do I keep getting all the difficult opponents?"

George and Terra were locked in combat, though to the outside observer it looked like George had picked a fight with the ground. He punched a patch of grass and sent dirt flying everywhere.

"You know, most people don't keep trying the same thing after it keeps not working" Terra said.

George screamed and punched at the spot the voice came from. He beyond angry. He signed up for a fight, not whatever this was.

Terra looked up at him, his face surrounded by grass. "See, that's what I'm talking about. This is just embarrassing."

George had no idea what to do. As soon as his fight started Terra had sunk into the ground. Being surrounded by earth didn't hinder his movements at all. In fact he moved easier underground than on his feet.

George found himself losing his patience. There was nothing he hated more than someone who ran from a fight. Terra couldn't take him in a straight up fist fight, so he just played the evasion game. His power was more suited for scouting or assassination. He couldn't stand a chance against someone who knew he was coming.

George ground his teeth. In the middle of the forest Terra could hide anywhere. If George wanted to win he'd have to do something he hadn't done in a long time.

He would have to think.

He could feel Terra's aura in the ground. He raised his fist and charged it with as much aura as he could. There was no way Terra could avoid this no matter where he was. His fist was shining.

Terra was clearly panicking. George could feel his aura getting further away until it settled in a nearby tree. That was the opening George was waiting for. The ground exploded beneath his feet as he charged towards the tree Terra was hiding in.

"I don't know what you're planning, but it's not going to work" Terra said, clearly nervous.

George grabbed the tree trunk and pulled. With considerable effort the tree began to shift. George's muscles were screaming in agony, but he kept going. The ground shook as he pulled the tree out completely. He held it over his head, the gnarled roots knocking him on the head.

The audience exploded at George's feat of strength. The two announcers were speechless. Both of them had fought George in the past but he never displayed that kind of power.

It was just an idea that George had. He didn't know exactly how Terra's semblance worked, but he figured that he couldn't use it in the air. If there was nothing between the tree and the ground then Terra was completely vulnerable. George tossed the tree into the air. Terra emerged from the tree, his face covered in sweat. There was only one way down, right into George's fist. George grinned as he slammed his fist into Terra's face. Terra was sent flying through multiple trees and sailed out of bounds.

A buzzer sounded signaling his defeat.

"And that is a devastating knockout blow from George!" Port shouted. The crowd went wild. A member of the undefeated Team SALT was taken out in one blow. That was unprecedented.

Noah holstered one of his weapons and conjured a grenade. He threw it at Leila. Leila used three hands to project a large barrier in front of her. The grenade hit the ground and rolled to a stop. It was a dud.

Before the grenade hit the ground Noah was behind Leila pointing his gun at her head. He fired and hit her point blank, depleting a large amount of her aura.

At the same one of the floating hands was speeding down towards Noah's head. He jumped away right before it crashed into the ground.

Leila got up and shook her head. "You are quite skilled. I did not think I would have to use my Semblance against you."

Noah raised an eyebrow as Leila raised her arm above her head. She slammed it into the ground and instantly both she and Noah were surrounded by darkness. Noah couldn't see anything. He could still hear the crowd and the confused announcers, but that was about it. He couldn't even see the ground beneath his feet.

Leila's voice echoed in the darkness. "My Semblance is known as 「All Black」. As the name implies it blocks out all light. No one can see in or out of this field."

Noah felt something burn his shoulder. He had been struck by another laser. Then another and another the beams fell upon him like rain. He couldn't see the attacks coming at all. He was helpless.

Or at least, that's what he wanted her to think.

"You say no one can see in here?" Noah asked.

"Correct" she responded.

Noah grinned. "That's good. I really don't want anyone to see this."

Leila felt a chill go up her spine. She was immune to her own power, but at this moment she wished she was blind. She could see what was once a person become a mass of mangled flesh and bone. She could smell blood and hear bones breaking. He was becoming something else, something horrifying.

"This is madness. What could have driven you to such extremes?"

Noah spoke with a voice that wasn't his own. "I don't remember."

To the people watching from the outside three things happened. First the black dome went up, obscuring the two fighters from sight.

Second, Noah's aura dropped into the red putting him barely above the line for elimination.

Third, Leila started screaming right before her aura was completely drained.

The black dome disappeared and the two fighters were finally visible again. Leila was collapsed on the ground in a puddle of blood. Noah was standing over her breathing heavily with blood coming from his nose, mouth, and eyes.

Noah felt like an iron spike was jammed into his head. "God, that hurts. Still, I got a little better at using it."

"And… somehow, Leila was eliminated. It would seem that at least one of them is in serious need of a medic."

Noah waved dismissively. "I'm fine, I just need to rest for a second."

Reid sighed. He didn't expect Noah to finish before him. Aidan was just a bad match for him. He had a large aura reserve, and his semblance barely used any. He could keep up his hit and run attack for as long as he wanted. This wasn't going well.

More perplexing was that Aidan looked even angrier now than when the fight started. Reid had no idea what the boy's problem was, and right now he didn't really care. All that mattered was winning this fight.

Reid thought for a moment. Aidan's semblance was absurdly powerful. He could teleport as much as he wanted with next to no delay between uses. Reid's only chance at winning would be to strike at the split second intervals between usages. That would be difficult, but not impossible.

Reid looked at the boy staring him down. "You know, I've been having a really awful time lately. I screwed up and got a bunch of people killed. I had to break up with my girlfriend, and I'm not sure I'll make it to the end of the year."

"What does that have to do with me?" Aidan asked.

"Not much, I just wanted to tell you why you're about to lose."

Reid's aura exploded. He could feel power flowing through him. It felt different than before. He knew his semblance had activated, but he still had control of himself. He didn't understand what had changed. It usually activated when he filled his head with horrible thoughts, but there was no way he could possibly feel any worse than he did now. Either way it didn't matter.

The battle was too fast for anyone to keep up with. The splashing water and destroyed ground were the only indicators that anyone was fighting at all. Reid's and Aidan's auras slowly fell into the yellow. The two created powerful gusts of wind with every strike. Hundreds of strikes were exchanged in this battle that lasted for less than a minute.

In the end Reid was standing over Aidan pressing the blade of his shovel against the boy's neck.

The three members of Team SALT were eliminated. Schwarz had walked back to the center of the arena clapping enthusiastically.

"Well done. You three are quite powerful indeed. I can't afford to hold back against you."

Noah, George, and Reid all attacked at once. Schwarz didn't miss a beat. Again, all he said was a single word.

" **Down."**

The three of them were forced into the ground. It was like there was a massive weight pressing down on them. It was too great to resist.

The world was filled with all kinds of people. There were people like Noah who used subterfuge and trickery to win fights, there were people like Reid who used speed and technique, and there were people like George who dominated opponents with overwhelming force.

Then there were people like Schwarz. He had none of those things. He wasn't strong, he wasn't skilled, and he had no mind for tricks. What he did have was power. He didn't need anything else. Strength, speed, skill, all of it was worthless before him.

Schwarz reached into his pocket and pulled out his weapon. It was an ordinary looking microphone. Upon seeing it all three members of Team NGRO felt an overwhelming sense of dread. All of them knew instinctively that Schwarz was on a significantly higher level than they were. There was no hope of victory against him.

"I can't afford to give you the chance to fight back, so I'll have to use my strongest attack right away."

Aidan and Leila made a mad dash for the exit. They didn't want to be around for what was about to happen.

He brought the mic to his lips and sang into it.

"Bring the sun spins around and around and around. Bring the sun spins around and around and around."

The air began to heat up. Schwarz' aura surged. His was a deep dark blue.

"Is it mine is it mine is it mine is it mine."

It got even hotter. So hot it hurt to breathe. Whatever was about to happen wasn't going to be pleasant. Noah, George, and Reid were still pinned to the ground, unable to move under the monstrous weight that was crushing them.

Schwarz took a deep breath.

" **SUUUUUUUN!"**

The arena was engulfed in flames. The trees burnt to the ground while the grass withered and died.

" **SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"**

The lake began to boil. The ground cracked apart.

" **SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"**

The air itself was burning.

The three members of Team NGRO were engulfed in white hot flames. It was the most agonizing thing any of them had ever experienced. Even if their aura was protecting them from any major damage they were still on fire.

Noah looked up and couldn't believe what he was seeing. It defied all common sense.

It was a star. It was small, about the size of one's fist, but the heat it gave off was unbelievable.

They were in too much pain to stay conscious. They heard the buzzer sounding right before they blacked out.

"What an amazing comeback by Team SALT!"


	33. Victim of a Drive By

"It's gonna happen soon, I can feel it."

Noah and George were back in their room after being checked up on by the nurse. All they got from their fight with Team SALT was minor burns. Reid had left to wander in the city and none of them had seen Oriana since the tournament started.

"Yeah, I feel it too."

George was on the floor doing sit-ups. He had lost count after one hundred. He was too excited to stay still. His fight with Schwarz had reinvigorated him. Now he had no choice but to beat Oriana. The world was filled with unbelievably powerful people and he wanted to take them all on.

Noah laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Tell you the truth I'm just glad for this to be done with. We've been dragging this out for way too long."

"I feel you. Gettin' sick of waiting."

"Yeah. I wanna ask you something."

"What?"

"You ever think about where you'd be if you didn't end up here?"

"No."

"Come on, I'm trying to make conversation."

George thought for a moment. "Assuming I didn't get killed in prison I'd go back out and start up my own crew. What about you?"

Noah shrugged. "Not really sure. I've always thought about getting one of those cushy office jobs. Something simple and monotonous would be perfect for me."

"Reid'd probably be a teacher. He's real sensitive and shit, plus he's good with kids."

Noah nodded in agreement.

George stopped exercising for a moment. "You know what though? I'm glad I ended up here. I saw some shit I never thought I'd get to see in my life, I made some great friends, and I met the best girl on the planet. No matter how this ends it was all worth it to me."

"Yeah. This really was something."

The two went back to sitting in silence. Oriana would be finished with her preparations soon.

"You think we can win?" Noah asked.

George snorted. "Is that even a question? You heard her, she's got no aura. Might as well be made of tin."

"You're right, but she's not stupid. She'd definitely think of a way around that."

"Maybe. I'm lookin' forward to it myself."

OoOoOo

Oriana went to the sitting area outside the school. She had intercepted a transmission and learned that a high ranking member of the military would be delivering a shipment of Knights. This factored into her plan, so she needed to find this person as soon as possible.

She sat on a bench and watched the students go by. Some were watching the tournament fights on their scrolls, others were chatting about their favorite teams. Some were clearly depressed at being eliminated so early. None of it mattered to Oriana.

"How exactly does this factor into your strategy?" Oriana's father asked.

"It is a contingency plan, in case things do no go as I envision. It is no small matter I am tasked with after all."

"Whatever you say. Anyway, it should be another half hour before that ship lands. I don't know who they're getting to do the drop but Ironwood asked for them personally."

"Exactly the kind of person I need."

Oriana could see the ship off in the distance. In time it landed near the edge of the cliff. The cargo bay door opened up and a progression of Knights exited in single file. Walking out behind them was the soldier tasked with delivering them.

It was an older looking woman with white hair and blue eyes. The outfit she was wearing wasn't the uniform of the Atlas military. It was a white coat with a red brooch, and a grey and white suit. She had a stern look on her face. She looked as though she had an unshakeable will. That's exactly what Oriana was looking for.

"Who is that?" Oriana asked.

Her father whistled. "That's Winter Schnee. She's a Specialist, works directly for Ironwood."

"I see."

There was a small beeping sound at the other end.

"What the hell was that? Oh shit are you jealous? That is fucking hilarious."

"Be quiet. I am not jealous."

"Oh come on, everyone knows how badly you want the IronDong™."

Oriana jammed a finger in her ear, filling the line with loud static.

"Ow! Jeez, can't you take a joke?"

"Your jokes are not funny."

Oriana could tell that the woman was powerful. If she worked directly for Ironwood then that was all the better. Oriana made her way to the woman when her emergency alarm went off.

Someone was walking up behind the woman and destroying her Knights. It was an old, scrawny looking man with pale pink eyes.

Oriana heard a sharp gasp on the other end.

"Oh fuck" her father said.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"That's Qrow Branwen. That man has more bodies on him than the Atlesian Military. If he's here then some serious shit's about to go down."

Qrow stepped over the broken machines and swaggered up to Winter. Oriana was too far away to hear what they were saying, but it looked like they were arguing. Sure enough Winter drew her sword and the two began to fight.

The way they moved was mesmerizing. Every strike Winter made was meant to kill. She wasted no effort on needless movements. It was clear that she had years of actual combat experience.

Then there was Qrow. He expertly dodged all of Winter's attacks with minimal effort. It was like a game to him. His attacks were devastatingly powerful. His skill was no doubt the result of walking countless battlefields. He must have fought for his life an immeasurable number of times.

Oriana recorded the fight. This was the last piece she was missing. If she could capture the techniques of these expert fighters it could help bridge the gap between herself and her teammates. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

However she found herself distracted by the emergency alarm going off again. It was the red alert. Her vision filled with warning symbols and the alarm blared in her ears.

Oriana couldn't believe it. It was General Ironwood. He must have come to oversee the shipment. He was visibly angry at what he had just witnessed. Winter looked incredibly embarrassed. Her face was a deep red and her hands were balled up into fists.

Oriana was glad that wasn't her getting scolded. The three of them made their way toward Beacon tower. Oriana kept a sizable distance as she followed them. After several minutes Winter exited the tower alone and went to join a young girl with a striking resemblance to her.

Oriana followed Winter to a secluded area. She was happily conversing with this girl. Oriana hid and waited for her chance. Winter pulled out her scroll. That was what Oriana was waiting for. Oriana scanned Winter's scroll and copied her contact information. Now she had everything she needed.

"So now what?" Oriana's father asked.

Oriana crept away from the two girls with a smile. "Now that everything is prepared I can proceed with the mission. Failure is an impossibility for me."

She pulled out her own scroll and looked at her teammates files. "Now then, who shall I see to first?"

OoOoOoO

Reid sat in an alleyway drinking alone. He looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was slowly going down. Soon the tournament finals would begin. It didn't matter to him, no one he was interested in was still fighting.

He emptied the bottle and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. That was his last bottle. He could leave and buy some more, but he didn't feel like it.

He leaned against the wall and sighed. He wondered what his parents would think of him if they saw him like this. Would they hate him for what he'd done? Would they despise what he had become?

These thoughts assaulted his mind. He couldn't think of anything else. For some reasons his parents were on his mind lately. After all the actions he took after their deaths was what lead to him being in this position.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Someone was walking down the alley. He ignored the sound at first, until it stopped and there was someone standing in front of him. He looked up and saw that it was Aidan, the boy he had fought in the tournament. He was still covered in bandages, save for his face. His yellow eyes lost most of their intensity, but there was still a hardness to them.

The boy smiled at Reid. "You're a hard one to find."

"You need something?" Reid asked.

Aidan sat down next to Reid. "I just wanted to chat for a bit. You know Schwarz blew his vocal cords on that attack? Ended up having to drop out. I tried to tell him to try something else but he just wouldn't listen."

Reid raised an eyebrow. "You mean he planned that out from the start?"

"Not all of it. He didn't expect the three of you to win at first."

Reid finally remembered where he had heard of Schwarz. "He was the lead singer of the Gemstones right?"

Aidan grinned. "Yep. He got signed when he was just eight years old. He quit music to start his huntsman training, but he still has a lot of supporters out there. He said he wanted to put on a show for them."

"He sounds like a really unreasonable guy."

Aidan sighed. "He is. I was surprised that you were able to beat me. You're the first person I've ever fought that's been able to beat my semblance."

"Thanks, I had some good teachers."

"Your parents?"

Reid shook his head. "No, they died when I was a kid. I learned from someone else."

Aidan sighed. "I guess we have that in common. Never met my parents. I grew up in a shelter. Either they died when I was really young or they just gave me up. I'm not sure which one is worse."

"That must have been rough."

Aidan laughed. "It wasn't all bad. The adults in charge took good care of me, and the other kids were alright too. There was this one kid who just latched onto me the second he saw me. We were inseparable, like brothers. He'd laugh at all my jokes, help me calm down when I got mad, cheer me up when I was feeling down. I didn't have to worry about anything as long as he was there." When Aidan finished talking he looked incredibly sad.

"Did something happen to him?" Reid asked.

Aidan turned to look at Reid, his eyes were filled with a cold fury that sent chills up Reid's spine. "Yeah, you killed him."

The air suddenly became freezing cold. All sound stopped except for Reid's heart pounding.

"What?" Reid asked in shock.

"You wouldn't remember me, but I remember you. I remember seeing you outside my window. I remember you throwing something into my room and it bursting into flames. It landed right in my brother's bed. I remember trying to help him, and I remember the way his skin came off him and into my hands."

Reid stood up, though he didn't know why. He had no way to determine if what the boy was saying was true or not. From the way he described what happened he had to be telling the truth. There was nothing Reid could say to make any of this better.

"Look, I-."

Aidan put a hand in front of his face. "Save it. I don't care. You did what you did, so I'm gonna do what I have to."

Reid suddenly felt an intense stabbing pain in his chest. He looked down and saw Aidan's hand had pierced him through. He didn't even see the boy move. He must have used his semblance again.

"I'm not like Terra. If I teleport into a solid object then it just gets destroyed." he looked Reid in the eye. "I want you to spend your last moments thinking about the people you killed, the children who didn't get to see another day because of you. I want you to know that I killed you for them."

Reid could only cough up blood in response. He couldn't breathe, he barely had the strength to stand.

Aidan pulled his hand out and shook the blood off. He gave Reid one last look of contempt and left the alleyway.

Reid looked at his blood covered shirt. He was losing too much blood too fast. He figured if he sprinted as fast as he could he could make it a medic before bleeding out.

Instead he sat back down and waited. If he could he would laugh. This was the last way he expected to die. He thought he'd get cut down by one of his teammates, not get stabbed to death in a filthy alley by a guy he had just met. It was too funny to be true. No, this was the only way it could have ended. In the end it all came back to that night, it was only fitting that it would come back to kill him.

His vision grew hazy and he started to feel cold. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but after a while he felt someone's hand on his face.

"Reid. Reid, wake up."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was a voice he hadn't heard in years. He opened his eyes and immediately began to shed tears.

It was a woman. Her flowing red hair and emerald green eyes were a familiar sight to Reid. It was his mother Jade. Standing next to her was his father. He looked like he found the whole thing amusing.

Reid didn't understand it at all. They were dead. They had been for years. He thought he was hallucinating again. But it couldn't be that. He could see them, touch them, and smell them. They were undeniably real.

Jade reached out and grasped Reid's hand. His mother's hand was just as warm and kind as he remembered. "We've been looking all over for you."

Suddenly he was back in Atlas. He remembered now. His parents had taken him into the city for a festival and he had gotten separated from them. No matter how hard he looked he couldn't find them. There were too many people to track their scent.

Reid's father started laughing. "Why're you crying? It wasn't that long."

Reid wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Jade picked Reid up and held him in her arms. He wasn't a teenager, now he was just a child. His hair had regained its normal color and his tail had grown back.

"It's okay sweetie. Everyone gets lost. As long as you find the right way in the end then it's fine."

John looked at his watch. "I think it's time we head home."

"You're right. Reid, did you have fun at the festival?"

Reid felt very tired. "Mm hm. I'm hungry."

His mother laughed. "Of course. How about I cook you some steak when we get home?"

"Okay"

Reid fell asleep in his mother's arms, and the Wenland family went home and disappeared into the light.

Were the events that transpired during Reid's final moments real? Were they what happens when a person's soul leaves their body, or were they merely his brain trying to give him a small comfort in his final moments?

Regardless of the answer one thing is certain. As Reid breathed his last, he finally found the thing he had spent his life searching for.

Peace.

* * *

 **AN** : RIP Reid, Chapter 1 - Chapter 33.

Despite me writing most of this as I go along Reid dying was something I had planned from the start. Despite how radically different his character and the overall plot ended up in the end there is no version of this story where he survives.

The only thing that changed about the scene itself was who ended up killing him. At first it was going to be Noah, then I thought it would be a relative of that White Fang goon he killed earlier in the story, whether the decision I arrived at was a good one or not is up to you.

If you have any thoughts on this chapter please leave a review, and if you like this story then feel free to shill it on social media.

See you next time.


	34. The Way Life Goes

Detectives Cotton and Salt went into the morgue with a sense of unease. Usually when a body gets dropped they just get a call and add it to their case files, but in this instance the coroner had asked them to come in and see the body themselves. This had all the makings of a serious headache.

They went into the cold room. The coroner was poring over a body when he heard the door open.

"Sup guys. Hey Cotton, how's the hand?"

Cotton flexed his mechanical fingers. He had lost his hand during the Grimm outbreak. He would have lost his life if not for those two boys. They seemed like a couple goofballs at first, but their skills were nothing to sneeze at.

"It's great. Your wife's a big fan of the vibrate function, prick."

Salt tried to keep the peace. "Come on, there's no call for any of that. Now then, what did you call down here for?"

The coroner went to one of the freezers. "One of Junior's boys found him. I heard you had some run-ins with this kid in the past."

"Kid?"

The coroner opened up the freezer and pulled out a body bag. He slowly unzipped the bag revealing a skinny corpse with short white hair.

"Fuck me, we do know that kid." Cotton said.

Salt sighed. "What a shame, he seemed like such a nice boy."

The coroner chuckled. "Someone sure as shit didn't think so." He unzipped the bag further, revealing a fist sized hole in the boy's chest.

Salt and Cotton gagged.

"Shit, someone wanted him dead twice." Cotton said.

"A wound that size, must have bled out in seconds." Salt added.

"Think of anything that could do that?" the coroner asked.

"A spear maybe. It doesn't look like a blade wound. I almost looks like someone's arm" Cotton said.

Salt raised an eyebrow. "You mean someone just shoved their arm through this kid's chest?"

Cotton chuckled. "I wouldn't have thought it possible myself, then again I didn't think it was possible to make clones of yourself or fit a minigun into a handbag until a couple weeks ago."

The coroner looked at the kid's face. "You know, doesn't he look kind of happy?"

"I wouldn't say that. But he does look, I don't know, relaxed?"

A third person entered the morgue. A young beat cop who had just joined the force a few months ago.

"Are you Detective Cotton?"

"Yeah. You need something?"

The new recruit pulled a file out of his coat. "I was told to bring this to you."

Cotton took the file and looked through it. It was his report on the multiple murder at the office building earlier in the year. There were a few new documents in the file. Blood test results, firing test results, fingerprint analyses. Cotton read through all of them and nearly dropped the file.

"What's that?" Salt asked.

Cotton laughed bitterly. "That kid with the goggles, I don't know when but he decided to look at one of my old cases. The shotgun shells from the office murder match the ones we found in the city when those two killers attacked. Who even taught him how to do a firing test?"

Salt felt something cold in his chest. "Neither of the assassins used firearms, so the shotgun shells were from…" he didn't want to finish his thought.

"Guess that explains why someone wanted them dead. If this kid killed six people in one night who knows what kind of shit his teammates got up to. This is the evidence we need. Let's see Ozpin try and turn us away this time."

Salt thought for a moment. He turned to the coroner. "Who else knows about this?"

The coroner tapped his chin. "Glynda, Ozpin, and a student they're bringing down to identify the body."

"If his teammates don't know he's dead then we can use this chance to bring them all in."

OoOoOoOoO

Maggie didn't say a word the entire ride down. She was sitting in her room when the headmaster and his assistant asked her to come with them. They said that they received a call from the police and needed her to come down to the station for something. There was a sense of dread all over her as she got in a bullhead and flew into the city.

Glynda put a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Maggie smiled at her. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

There was a palpable sense of apprehension when they walked into the station. A uniformed officer directed them to an elevator that would take them to the basement. When they walked into the morgue they saw two men wearing suits and one wearing a white lab coat.

"Greetings. I wish we could meet under better circumstances." Ozpin said. Even in this situation he kept up an air of friendliness.

The younger officer returned his greeting. "I do wish we could stop meeting like this." His eyes went towards Maggie. "Is she here to ID the body?"

Maggie nodded.

"I see. Do you have any relation to the victim?"

"We dated for a while" Maggie said.

"Oh."

The coroner unzipped the bag exposing Reid's face.

Maggie's heart caught in her chest. "Yes, that's Reid."

The older officer sighed. "I'm sorry for your loss. If you like we can give you a moment alone."

"I'd like that, thank you."

The others left the room leaving Maggie and Reid in silence. The steady hum of the cooling system filled her ears.

She didn't cry. She had shed all the tears she could. Besides, this wasn't Reid. It was just a body. It wasn't warm like he was, it couldn't laugh like he did, and it couldn't love her the way he did.

Maggie sighed. "I guess they finally caught you. You should have run like I told you to. You're too stubborn for your own good. There's so much I wanted to tell you, but now I'll never get the chance." She put a hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant. It's yours, obviously. You're the only man I've ever been with. My teammates and Iris are the only other people who know. I hope it's a girl. You said your hair used to be red right? I hope she has your hair. I wonder if she'll have ears like mine, or a tail like yours. Oh well, I'm getting ahead of myself. You know, even after everything all I see when I look at you is that awkward looking boy I bumped into in the hallway. At first I just wrote you off as just another asshole, but I saw something in you that made me give you another chance. I'm really glad I did."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I was happy, you know? You were the kindest, sweetest person I ever met. I never thought someone like me could ever actually be happy. I didn't think I deserved it after all the awful shit I did."

She placed a hand on Reid's face. "Goodbye Reid." As she went to leave she said one last thing to her deceased lover. "By the way, if you see my dad tell him to fuck himself."

When she stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway she saw the teachers and two officers speaking in hushed tones. She figured that was something she wasn't supposed to be hearing so she tried to ignore it. Unfortunately her ears picked up every word as though she was standing right next to them.

"Look at this. As much as I hate to say it that kid is a prime suspect in six murders. As of right now we have to assume his teammates are accomplices."

Ozpin's brow furrowed. "This is quite disturbing. If my students are responsible for these heinous crimes then I have an obligation to see them brought to justice."

"I appreciate your cooperation. What can you tell us about them?"

Glynda pulled out her scroll. "It would be faster to show you their files." She pulled up the files for Beacon's students and looked through them. A look of frustration grew across her face. "That's strange."

"What's wrong?" Ozpin asked.

"I can't find their files. All of Team NGRO's records have been deleted from the archives. Their grade reports, their combat records, even their medical histories are all gone."

The younger detective raised an eyebrow. "Could they have deleted it?"

Glynda shook her head. "Only the staff has access to student files."

"Maybe your shit got hacked" the older detective said.

"We will have to consider all possibilities at this point. We have no idea what those three are truly capable of."

Glynda shook her head. "In any case we need to find them." She dialed a number on her scroll. "Agnes? This is Glynda. Have you seen the other members of Team NGRO?"

Maggie recognized Peach's voice on the other end.

"I haven't seen Reid in a while, but I did see the other three about an hour ago."

Glynda's shock was written all over her face. "You did?"

"Yeah. They were running like they were on fire, didn't even stop to chat. No idea where they were going."

Glynda got another call. "What is it?"

"This is Pearl from the hangar. Three guys came through and stole a Bullhead. They knocked everyone out and smashed all of our scrolls."

The air went cold.

"Were they students?" Glynda asked.

"Yeah, they had on Beacon's uniform. I can send you the security camera footage."

A few minutes later and four people huddled around a scroll to watch a ten second clip of four students raiding the holding area for Beacon's aircraft. A large man with one eye and a short girl with straight black hair violently attacked the guards protecting the hangar. An average looking boy noticed one of the cameras and shot it out, ending the video.

Glynda pressed some buttons on her scroll. "They're out of range of our trackers, which means that they've already left Vale."

The older detective buried his head in his hands. "So there's no way of catching them."

Ozpin shook his head. "That would be a tall order. We have no idea where they might be heading, and as long as Mr. Pyrite is with them they can assume any disguise they want."

The older detective stormed out the police station, slamming the door so hard he shattered the glass.

Maggie went outside as well.

 _Your teammates had the right idea. Why did you have to be so noble? Then again, that's another thing I loved about you._

OoOoOoO

The three of them were in their room when they were notified of Reid's death. Their scrolls gave out live readings of the vitals of each student, so they knew immediately that something had happened to Reid. A single line on their scroll was enough to make them pack up their things and leave.

 _Reid Wenland: Deceased_

After a mad dash to the hangar they stole a bullhead and were out of Vale before anyone knew what happened.

"Damn, I can't believe he's gone" Noah said.

George shrugged. "It was gonna happen sooner or later. I'm more interested in who took him out. They've gotta be some kinda monster to pull that off."

Noah rolled his eyes. "I thought you two were close."

"We were, but I'm not stupid. If Reid didn't get got he probably would have done himself by the end of the year."

"Yeah." Noah turned towards Oriana. She was in the pilot seat flying the aircraft like it was something she did all the time. "Where are we going?"

"We are returning to Atlas. I have some things I need to deliver."

Noah sighed. "Can't say I'm in any hurry to go back there."

"I suggest you stop complaining. You know that staying in Vale was not an option."

Oriana considered herself lucky. Despite her days of preparation she hadn't found a countermeasure for Reid. His strength and speed were beyond anything she could deal with.

George put his feet up. "If we got nothing else to do I'm gonna kick back and watch the rest of the tournament."

None of the dual battles were that interesting. Yang's performance was beyond embarrassing. She let a neon colored cat get under her skin and throw off her focus. It was only by flailing around like a spastic that she managed to win. George could barely contain his disappointment. The ruthless brutality that had defeated him was nowhere to be found.

The other matches weren't much better. They weren't worth talking about at all, but the worst by far was Pyrrha's fight against two members of Team SSSN. The entire thing was a farce from the word go. The blue haired combatant refused to fight anywhere near the water leaving his partner to fend for himself. The blond haired Faunus held his own against two opponents but lost eventually. When Pyrrha and her teammate focused on the remaining fighter he lost his composure and fell into the lake, causing the water wings to in his jacket to inflate. Once that happened he surrendered out of sheer embarrassment.

George grimaced. "God damn this sucks. I thought these kids were professionals."

Noah laughed. "You said it yourself, they're kids. What were you expecting?"

"For them to take this shit seriously."

"Come on, this is for them to blow off steam after a year of schooling. It's not like they're fighting to the death."

George grunted in response.

After a short intermission it was time for the solo fights. Those were better than the duo fights, but not anything worth remembering.

Until the fight between Yang and boy named Mercury Black. George could feel something from Mercury, something familiar. It was the way he carried himself, like he was trying to appear weaker than he really was. Or the way that despite his relaxed expression his body was visibly tense like a bomb ready to go off. George could tell that that kid had spent his life waist deep in blood.

George couldn't take his eyes off of their fight. Mercury was skilled, but Yang had him beaten in raw strength. Or at least that's how he wanted it to appear. George was in awe at the boy's skill. He was clearly holding back, but not so much that it was obvious to the average fighter. Unfortunately for Yang this included her. She was strong, but she lacked experience. Mercury had her dancing to his tune from the start.

Yang won, or rather Mercury let her win, and he extended a hand towards her. Instead of shaking his hand Yang broke his leg. The last thing they saw before the broadcast was cut was Yang surrounded by mechanical soldiers.

George broke into laughter. "Guess she's a sore loser."

Noah frowned. "You know, I heard that she had some anger issues but I never had her down for this kind of shit."

After a brief intermission it was time for the semifinals. The match was between Pyrrha and a girl named Penny.

Penny brought out several floating swords and went on the attack. It was obvious that she was incredibly skilled with such unorthodox weapons. Pyrrha actually seemed to struggle against her. Penny unleashed a barrage of lasers similar to the ones Oriana used. Pyrrha expertly avoided all of the attacks and struck Penny with her spear, sending her sliding backwards. With a grin Penny raised her arms and brought her swords into position. Pyrrha suddenly looked terrified. She activated her semblance, sending a visible pulse of black energy towards Penny. Penny's body warped like something was crushing it, and in seconds she was torn to pieces.

George whistled. "Didn't think she had it in her."

The cameras lingered on Penny's body for a moment before cutting to a picture of a chess piece. A woman began giving a speech about something that George wasn't really paying attention to. Once she was done the scene shifted to an overhead view of Vale being destroyed. People were getting devoured by Grimm, the robotic soldiers that Atlas provided were gunning down innocent civilians, and the White Fang were killing every living thing that got near them. It was pandemonium, it was hell.

"That's fucking awesome!" George shouted. "Turn this bitch around, I gotta get in that shit."

"We are not turning around. We have one destination and only one." Oriana replied.

George groaned in frustration. "Come on! I can't just watch this, I'll probably never have another chance like this."

"What, to throw your life away?"

"Yeah!"

"No."

George sighed and went back to watching the livestream. There were several large explosions in the city, and large pillars of jet black smoke floated into the air. The Atlas military was being cut to bits. Between their own robots turning against them, the thousands upon thousands of Grimm that flooded into the city, and the White Fang they were absolutely overwhelmed. After an hour of carnage a roar louder than anything he had ever heard pierced the air, and the stream ended.

"Shit, I was enjoyin' that" George said.

"Aren't you worried about Iris?" Noah asked.

"Nah. If she makes it out, cool. If not then oh well, it was just her time."

Noah shook his head. "Man, you are cold."

A couple hours later the bullhead landed. The three former students stepped outside and into a frozen wasteland. There was nothing around for miles. It was completely silent, not even the wind blew. It was serene. All three of them had the exact same thought. This would be the perfect setting for a fight to the death.

Noah drew his guns. "Yeah, this is a good spot."

George summoned his aura and smiled. He had been waiting for this for too long. "You up for this?"

Oriana unsheathed her sword. "I am combat ready."


	35. Judgement Nite (Part One)

Maggie's entire body was on fire. Her arms and legs ached, her back hurt, and she could barely breathe. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel a great weight pressing down on her. With a groan of effort she managed to push it off of her. There was the sound of something crashing to the ground.

"Wanna hear something fucked up? Nearly getting crushed by a falling airship isn't the worst thing that's happened to me in the past week."

She laughed, though she couldn't hear it. The explosion caused by the falling aircraft destroyed her eardrums. She placed her hands on her ears and after several seconds she could hear again, and she heard everything. She could hear the crackling flames, gunfire, roaring Grimm, people screaming, and those screams being swiftly silenced.

Maggie's blood ran cold. This must have been what Reid felt that night in the village. Did he feel this same deep horror being at the center of such chaos and being unable to stop any of it?

She stumbled to her feet and shook her head clear of fog. She looked around for any survivors, but didn't find any. She heard footsteps and went on the offensive. She charged forward and sent her fist at the first person she saw.

That person was her partner Rain. She dodged the punch and gave Maggie an angry look. "Like I don't have enough to worry about right now."

Maggie gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I'm a little on edge."

"I'm sure you're not the only one" Love replied. "Where's Beans?"

Maggie looked at her scroll. After a minute she pointed to the gigantic mass of broken and burning steel that nearly fell on her. "Somewhere in there."

"Shit" Rain said.

It was a matter of a few feet. Beans was killed instantly by the wreckage falling on him, while Maggie was blown several feet away by the crash and into a wall.

Maggie sighed. "Man, this is just not my day. Come on guys, let's get somewhere safe."

The three of them traveled through the city trying to find something resembling safety. Their best bet was the school, but there wasn't any way up. Maggie focused her aura around her ears to listen for signs of life, but couldn't find anything. She concentrated and heard the faint sound of something breathing.

Love looked up. "Guys, do you see that?"

Maggie and Rain looked up at one of the bullheads floating overhead. One had the hatch open and something fell out. It sped down toward the ground and crashed in front of them. It got up onto its feet and roared. It was an Ursa Major.

"Did that Grimm just fall out of the sky?" Maggie asked. It was too ridiculous to consider. She heard something cut through the air and ducked. The Ursa's claw sailed harmlessly overhead. Maggie jumped up and kicked down onto its head three times. The beast stumbled for a bit, long enough for Love to cut off one of its legs. He watched it fall to the ground and drove another blade into its head. Right when that finished disappearing dozens more hit the ground.

"You know, I can't help but feel a bit disadvantaged" Rain said. She pulled out her scroll and summoned her locker. A Beowulf leaped toward her with its jaws wide. The locker came crashing down and crushed its skull.

Rain took her bottle out of the locker and drained half of it. The other half she formed into a shimmering blade made of water.

The three students cut through all of the Grimm that attacked them. For what felt like an eternity they deftly avoided fangs, claws, stingers, and pincers. Their training carried them to victory, but they found themselves nearing exhaustion.

Rain especially. Her blade was incredibly sharp, but it was still made of water. Every time she used it a she lost a little of it. After she finished fending off the Grimm she was almost out. This wasn't good. She didn't see any chance at getting more water in the near future.

"What now?"

Maggie thought for a moment. Their best course of action would be finding a safe area. At this point that would be the part of the city that was the least destroyed. Continuing to fight was the least desirable option. They were outnumbered and nearing their limit. They likely wouldn't survive another battle.

The ground shook, and a giant Grimm, larger than any that had ever been seen before, latched on to Beacon Tower. The sight chilled the blood of the three fighters.

"For now, let's get as far away from that thing as possible" Maggie said.

They traveled through the city. Past the dead bodies, past the destroyed buildings, past the burning vehicles, past the remains of what was once their home.

Maggie sighed. She had lost so much in such a short time. Her ears perked up. It was a faint sound, so far away she barely heard it. It was the sound of a rifle bolt being pulled back. She pushed Rain out of the way just as the crack of a gun shot rang out. The bullet sped through the air. It avoided hitting Rain, but the bottle she was carrying shattered, spilling its contents onto the ground.

Rain stomped on the ground in anger. "Fuck! What else is gonna go wrong tonight?"

Maggie heard footsteps. More than a few pairs of feet were walking towards them. The street slowly filled with White Fang members. Some were carrying swords, others were hoisting guns. Most of them were wearing the plain white masks of low level grunts, but there were two in the back that had masks with red markings on them. Those two were much more powerful than the rank and file around them.

Maggie's heart was pounding. There was a boiling in her stomach like it was filled with molten lead. She had never been so angry in her life. She ground her teeth so hard she tasted blood.

"Calm down" Love whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

Maggie took a deep breath to calm herself down. She gestured towards the White Fang grunts. "I'm gonna guess and say you had a hand in what's going on."

One of the grunts walked toward her with a grin on his face. "What you're seeing is the first step of our revolution. Our aim is to create a new world, a world where the Faunus reign supreme! We're going to show the humans that we're tired of living under their heel. We will become the dominant species of Remnant!"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "So after you're done here you're gonna do the same to Shade, Haven, and Atlas?"

"Yes. We will destroy the pillars of human society, and in their place we'll build the pillars of the World of Faunus." he extended a hand toward her. "You are more than welcome to join us. We are always looking to bolster our numbers. We found quite a few in Vale that are sympathetic to our cause."

Various thoughts ran through Maggie's head as she looked at the man's outstretched hand. She thought about the last time she had gotten sucked into the White Fang. She thought about the robberies, the bombings, the murders. She thought about what came after she left, the beatings, the shootings, and the hate.

She slapped the man's hand away. "Fuck that. World for the Faunus? Bullshit. How many Faunus do you think live in this city? This is probably the only safe haven they have, and you destroyed it. And what do you think is gonna happen afterwards? You think the humans are just gonna roll over? Never mind all the Faunus that have nothing to do with your shit getting fucked over anyway. The humans already hate us and you assholes are just making things worse."

The man frowned. "That is too bad. If you are not willing to join our cause then I must consider you a traitor." The man drew his sword. The others in the group drew their weapons as well.

The man swung his sword at Maggie. Before it touched her she sent a blindingly fast kick right to his head. The first strike tore through his aura. The second broke his neck. The third fractured his skull. The man was dead before he hit the ground.

She glared at the rest of the grunts. "What are you waiting for?"

The other grunts charged.

Maggie took on one opponent and quickly took him out of the fight by breaking his leg. The man dropped to the ground screaming.

"Stay down and I won't kill you" Maggie said to the downed man. She heard the rifle bolt being pulled again. This time she was able to determine the location of the sound. She crouched down and focused her aura around her legs. She shot up and through a window, tackling the would-be shooter to the ground. After several punches to the face they were out of commission. She jumped back out the window to rejoin her friends.

Love was locked in combat with two opponents. They were obviously not used to fighting. Their attacks were clumsy and sloppy. Love felt bad for them. They were weak, just like him. He didn't want to kill them, but they decided their fate when they attacked his school.

A sword came speeding toward his head. He easily avoided it and slashed across his opponent's chest. The enemy began to bleed and fell to the ground. The other swordsman swung downwards. Love stepped back to avoid the swing, then lunged forward and parted the man's head from his shoulders in one move.

Rain took on all of the remaining enemies at once. They had noticed how reliant she was on her water and thought that they could take her now that she was almost out. Rain was backed into a corner. She barely had enough water to fill the palm of her hand.

One of the men in the back raised their gun at her. "If you surrender we'll make it quick."

Rain tapped her chin. "So my options are surrender and die or fight back and die? Such a difficult decision."

"What can you even do with so little water?"

Rain grinned. "I can do this."

She gathered up the remaining water and shot a bullet straight through the man's heart. The man clutched at his chest and fell to the ground dead. Rain leapt to the downed corpse and thrust a hand into the wound.

The other white fang looked horrified. One's face went green and he vomited onto the ground.

"What are you doing?" one asked.

Rain pulled her blood soaked hand out of the man's chest. "Rearming myself." Blood began to flow out of the man's body and gathered into a ball.

Rain started laughing. "It's not the water, moron. I can control any liquid I can infuse with my aura."

The other grunts raised their weapons a second too late. Several blades extended and pierced the fighters. The sharp tendrils shot through their arms, legs, chests, and heads. Rain extracted the blood from the bodies until it formed a red globe several times her size.

Maggie looked at the two remaining fighters. "Last chance to run if you want to live."

The two lieutenants laughed. One of them walked toward Maggie. He looked around the same age as the students. He had a long tail that ended in a tuft of white and black hair. As he walked he drew his weapon, an eastern longsword with an engraving of a tiger on the blade.

"Hey Maggie. It's been a while."

Maggie smiled. "Bai Laohu. It's been years. I don't suppose you can tell me who your friend is."

Bai laughed. "That man is Yu Long. I never thought I'd see you again. Who would have guessed we'd end up meeting like this?"

Maggie slowly inched away from him. "So, how's Bane? He still carrying that chainsaw around?"

Bai turned so his shoulder was pointed toward Maggie. "Yeah, he's finally able to lift it now. Speaking of, you know he ran into a Schnee in the tunnels?"

Maggie placed a foot behind her. "No shit? Which one?"

Bai placed both hands on his sword. "Weiss. I guess she was there on a mission or something."

Maggie focused her aura around her legs. "Small world."

Maggie's foot went flying towards Bai's head. At the same time Bai's sword went for her neck. The two attacks collided causing a powerful gust of wind to rip through the area.

The metal plate in Maggie's boot scraped against the sword. "I'm going to kill you"

Bai put more force onto his sword. "I'd like to see you try"

Yu walked towards Rain and Love. Just by looking at him it was clear that he was quite older than the others. The power he gave off was like a jagged knife. "Your bodies will be the foundation of our new world."

Rain laughed. "I'm definitely gonna enjoy getting to waste one of you animals without anyone getting on my case about it."

Love sighed. "Rain, I love you, but you can be really unpleasant sometimes."

Love ran at Yu and swung at his head. Yu stuck out his hand and blocked the blade of aura.

He looked at Love. "You also use the Killing Wind style."

Love grinned at him. "I'm always happy to meet a fellow student."

"Do not be mistaken. You are a student, I am a master."

Yu drew back his fist and punched forward like an arrow. Though Love was several feet away he still felt the wind get knocked out of him. He had never felt an aura so thick and heavy before. This was obviously the result of years of endless training.

Rain shot a jet of blood at her enemy. Yu put up his arms to block. The speeding torrent of blood tore his shirt to shreds, but didn't do much beyond that.

Rain sighed. "Figured it wouldn't be that easy."

Yu ripped off what remained of his shirt. His body was covered in dark green scales. He removed his mask and crushed it in his hand. His face was crossed with scars, including one that went through both of his eyes.

Love took up a stance. He kicked at Yu's head and released a spear of aura from his foot. Yu effortlessly batted it away with his hand. Love closed the distance and slashed across the man's chest with both arms. Yu's aura seeped from his body and neutralized the hostile aura.

"You are skilled, but I am far beyond your reach." Yu punched Love hard in the stomach and followed it with a vicious elbow to the back of the head. Love was sent crashing into the ground. Yu raised his fist to strike again but was blown off his feet by another jet of blood.

Love got to his feet and pressed his advantage. He stomped the ground so hard he fractured the concrete. Yu jumped back seconds before he was impaled by a dozen spears of aura. One grazed his arm, cutting through the thick scales and into the muscle.

Love took a heaving breath. That took a lot out of him. He wouldn't be able to do that too many times. But he did learn something useful. He could cut through Yu's thick aura if his blades were sharpened enough.

"Rain, do you remember our last mission?"

Rain nodded. She raised her arms and the large ball of blood hovered higher above her head. She threw them down and the ball splashed to the ground, sending blood every which way.

Yu didn't move, anticipating a trap. He listened for movement, and expanded the range of his aura. He felt something move toward him. Rapid footsteps approached him. He threw up his arm to block a kick. He drew back his other hand to counter when he felt something crawling up his back. Before he could react his head was engulfed in blood. He could feel the liquid forcing its way into his mouth and nose. It was only a matter of time before he drowned. Nonplussed he punched Love square in the gut, sending him crashing to the ground.

Love winced in pain. He had never been hit so hard in his life. Slowly he staggered back to Rain and leaned on her shoulder.

"How much longer?" he asked.

Rain's face was screwed up in concentration. "His lungs are full of blood. Shouldn't take much longer."

Love saw that Maggie was still locked in combat with Bai. "Alright. You finish up, I'm going to help our leader."

No one could blame them for thinking the fight was over. The man was blind with liquid filling his lungs. No matter what happened he was going to die. But their overconfidence had caused them to forget where they were. This was Remnant. If a boy with no arms could transform his crippled body into a lethal weapon after only six years of training, then obviously a man well into adulthood could do the same.

Love felt something fly past him. A perfect circle appeared in a wall ten feet away. He was enraptured by the sight of it. It was a clean, completely smooth cut.

He was broken out of his fixation by the sound of something hitting the ground.

Rain was sprawled out with a gaping hole where her heart used to be. She was dead before she hit the ground. Her eyes stared up at the sky, oblivious to what happened.

Love couldn't believe how stupid he had been. He wasn't fighting some low rate bandits in the middle of nowhere. This was a master of one of the deadliest martial arts on Remnant. Of course someone like that would be able to keep calm in any situation.

Yu forced the blood out of his lungs. It spewed from his mouth and he was able to breathe again. He looked incredibly calm as he addressed Love.

"That was an admirable attempt, however your arrogance cost your friend her life. Had you not turned your back on me I would be dead and she would still be alive. A harsh lesson indeed, but one that you must learn."

Love was dumbstruck. Arrogant was never a word that was used to describe him. He was always a shy, timid boy. Even before the car accident that cost him his arms and half of his face. Yet that was the only way to explain how he had made such a colossal mistake. He should have cut Yu's head off the instant he had the chance. He messed up, and Rain got killed because of it.

Love sighed. He had to make it right, no matter what it took.

Yu raised his fists again. He drew back his right arm, and extended a single finger. A deep green arrow grazed Love's cheek. That single arrow was followed by dozens more. It was a relentless stream of projectiles. They were unbelievably fast. Aura was pure destructive force, and the lack of weight made the arrows faster than bullets.

Love dodged the arrows as he ran at his opponent. He would only get one shot at this. He couldn't afford to waste energy getting hit. In a matter of seconds he was eye to eye with Yu. He poured all of the aura he had left into his right arm. Yu's fist sped toward Love's head. Love's head was completely unprotected, and the power behind that punch could splatter his brains across the ground like tofu. At least that's what was supposed to happen.

Love's aura cut through Yu's, and continued through Yu's arm. It was split in two and taken off at the shoulder. Before Yu could react Love attacked again, cutting through the man's heart and one of his lungs.

Yu coughed up blood. "Impressive. It has been some time since I saw someone avoid my Blinding Arrow attack."

"Who said I avoided it?" Love replied. His legs, chest, and stomach were filled with holes. Of course they were. The arrows were far too fast to avoid, and Love didn't have the time to try and avoid all of them. The punch he had taken earlier had broken his ribs. If he took too long he would end up passing out, and then Maggie would be stuck facing two enemies alone.

Yu laughed. "I see."

The old Faunus fell to the ground and stopped breathing.

Love walked over to Rain's body and laid down next to her. He closed his eyes and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm sorry. I screwed up."

Those were the last words that Love ever spoke.

Maggie was still locked in combat when she felt the auras of her two teammates fade out. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't afford to lose her cool. Even when they were young Bai was on another level. He was naturally gifted, and time had only sharpened his skill further. A single mistake would spell defeat. In this situation that meant death, and she couldn't afford to die here.

Bai's attacks were relentless. Each one flowed into the next. His skill with the sword was second to none. "It's a shame about your friends. Don't feel too bad, you'll be joining them soon."

It took everything Maggie had to avoid Bai's attacks. "They knew the risks. At least they took your guy out first."

Bai laughed. "He died a soldier. That's the best any of us can hope for."

He thrust straight at Maggie. She parried the blade with her hand and it sailed harmlessly past her face. Bai never gave her a chance to counter.

Maggie was suddenly struck with an idea. Why not do both at once?

Bai slashed horizontally at Maggie. Maggie ducked underneath, and when she sprang back up her foot was speeding up towards Bai's chin. Bai leaned back and avoided the attack by a hair. He raised his sword and blocked a kick from the left. He thought he had the attack under control, but he didn't anticipate the kick speeding down onto his head.

Bai was disoriented. Maggie seized an opportunity and elbowed him in the side of his head. She then spun and kicked him square in the jaw. Maggie stepped forward to press the advantage, but something made her stop. Maybe it was the way that the grip on his sword never relaxed for a second.

Bai shook his head. "You're stronger now. Of course. It's not like we're still kids."

He drew a circle in the air with his sword. Four glowing gold swords appeared above his head. One flew at Maggie. She batted it away with her hand. That was a mistake. When her fist collided with the glowing blade it violently exploded, blasting her several feet away. Maggie coughed. If another one of those hit her she was dead.

She ran towards Bai, dodging the flying swords by a hair. Her heart was pounding in her chest like it was trying to break out. Bai sent another sword and ran after it. The two split off and approached from different sides. Bai was to Maggie's left while the explosive sword came from her right. Maggie dodged the sword and attacked Bai. Maggie's fist sped toward Bai's face. He didn't try to avoid it, he just smiled at her.

Maggie's ears perked up. She heard something flying through the air. The back of her neck was burning hot. She tilted her head to the side and saw the glowing blade in her peripheral vision speeding toward Bai. If she hadn't moved it would have gone right through her. At least now it could solve her problem for her. At least that's what she thought.

The blade disappeared into shimmering sparkles of light. Of course Bai wouldn't get hit by his own semblance. He was too good for that. He was skilled, too skilled. At the moment Maggie forgot that. In the moment where he neutralized his own attack, a period of time that couldn't have been more than a second, Maggie hesitated. Bai took his chance and attacked with his sword, taking off Maggie's arm at the elbow. There was another moment of hesitation, and Bai thrust his sword through Maggie's stomach.

Maggie gasped. Her blood dripped onto the ground. This hurt worse than getting shot. She felt her strength leaving her body.

Bai looked into Maggie's eyes. "It's a shame. I was always fond of you."

Maggie didn't hear him. He couldn't have been saying anything important anyway. She would only get one shot at this, so she had to make it count.

She opened her mouth wide and clamped down onto Bai's neck. She bit until she tasted blood. Her teeth tore into his windpipe. A couple seconds was all it took. She jerked her head and tore out a chunk of his throat. Thick, dark blood spurted from the fresh hole in his neck and he fell to the ground trying to stop the bleeding with his hands. It would only be a few seconds before he bled out. Not even aura could heal a wound like that.

Maggie pulled the sword out of her gut and staggered away. She needed to find a medic soon.

But first she was incredibly tired. She just won a hard fight by the skin of her teeth, she earned a moment of rest at least. She sat by a wall and closed her eyes. Just a few minutes to rest and she would get back up and find safety.

Sometimes when people die it's like falling asleep. Maggie's death was just like that. The seventeen year old wolf Faunus met her end defending her home from people she once called brothers in arms. If you were to ask her if she thought that made up for what she had done in her past, she would say no. To the people who would write the record of the events that transpired this night however, Maggie Grimes went out a hero. In the end, that's all that matters.

Back at Beacon, in an empty office, on a computer that no one was using, there was a single message. It was merely one among several similar ones, but it was no less significant.

 _Team MRBL: Completely Annihilated_

* * *

 **AN-** Would you believe me if I told you that this is another one of those things that I had planned from the beginning?

Team MRBL started as supporting characters in a fic that I never published, and I figured why not reuse them for this story. Actually I came up with them before I ever thought of Team NGRO. One thing that was changed was that Maggie wasn't the leader. In my first draft of this story her introductory scene was the same, except that instead of her it was Velvet. I don't think I have to explain why I changed that in the end. For a character that I pulled out of the ether I think she turned out okay at least.

Either way, there aren't that many chapters left. I hope you continue to read this until the end. If you like the story feel free to follow or fave, drop a review, or just PM me to call me an edgelord.

See you next time.


	36. Judgement Nite (Part Two)

Their home was burning. People were dying. Everything was being destroyed around them. None of them could believe that what had started as an ordinary day could end up like this. One student in particular took these events harder than anyone else.

Lala fell to her knees and started screaming. She grabbed handfuls of her hair and pulled hard enough to rip it from her scalp. In her eyes she wasn't at Beacon. She found herself back home in Atlas in the burning remains of her home standing over her parent's bodies.

"I don't want to sound insensitive, but can you take care of that?" Lotus asked.

Yasmin nodded and knelt down next to Lala. She gently grasped the young girl's hands.

"Lala, I need you to take a deep breath for me. Can you do that?"

Lala breathed in and out.

Yasmin smiled. "Good"

"Where are my mom and dad? Why is my house on fire? Why did they attack us? What did we ever do to them?"

Yasmin squeezed Lala's hands. "Lala, this isn't Atlas. We're in Vale."

Lala looked at Yasmin. "Why is it burning?"

Yasmin frowned. "I don't know. Now, we're probably going to have to fight. Are you okay with that?"

Lala nodded.

Yasmin smiled. "Good. Now, let's get our weapons."

Iris, Lala, and Yasmin each summoned their lockers. They brandished their weapons and set off to defend their home.

"You're a lifesaver Yasmin" Lotus said.

Yasmin waved dismissively. "I'm just doing my job."

That was true for the most part. Yasmin had been selected for the sole purpose of managing Lala's episodes. Lala was a skilled fighter, but her condition made her a liability. Without Yasmin around to care for her mental health there's no telling what could happen.

Lotus sighed. "I'm serious. I know I wouldn't be able to handle her the way you can. You take care of Lala, Iris went to someone else for training. I really am awful at being a leader"

Iris slapped Lotus on the back of her head. "Keep talking like that and you'll get us all eaten. For now let's find somewhere safe."

Lotus groaned. "God your hands are like stone now. What did George do to you?"

"All kinds of things. Speaking of, I wonder where they are."

Lotus shrugged. "Those guys can handle themselves."

Yasmin dialed a number on her scroll.

"Who are you calling?" Iris asked.

"Someone I work with" Yasmin replied.

The person she was calling answered. A voice that was unfamiliar to half of Team LILY came from the scroll.

"This had better be an emergency" the voice said.

"Captain Schnee, this is Private Yasmin. What is going on?"

There was a brief pause while Winter gathered her thoughts. "Vale is under attack by an unknown force. There are reports of Grimm, as well as White Fang. Unfortunately our own assets have been compromised."

"Compromised how?"

"All four of our Dreadnoughts have been destroyed, and our Knights and Paladins have been seized by the enemy. Assume any mechanical forces you encounter are hostile."

"Understood. Has a safe zone been established?"

"Yes, the general and I have established a perimeter. I am sending you the coordinates now. If you encounter any injured bring them with you if you can."

"Understood. Yasmin out."

Yasmin hung up her scroll. "Alright, looks like there's a safe zone not too far from here. If we hurry it shouldn't take that long to get there."

Lotus and Iris stared slack jawed at Yasmin.

"What?"

"You're in the army?" Iris asked.

"Kind of. I'm a private in name only. I won't officially enlist until I graduate."

"Later on you're going to have to tell us more about that."

The four of them traveled through the city looking for any survivors. They never found any. There were signs that a fierce battle had been fought in the area. The ground was littered with corpses and machine parts.

Yasmin sighed. "I think we should give up on finding anyone."

"So what, go to the safe zone?" Lotus asked.

"Seems like it." She looked at the way Lala gripped her spear, and the obvious fear on her face. "Let's try and avoid fighting if we can."

There were sounds of combat all around them. There was an explosion, and a massive white ball rose into the air before coming down. There was another explosion and it rose again, but even larger.

Lotus shielded her eyes from the blinding light. "Holy shit. Is that Corona?"

Iris shuddered. "Looks like they have things handled on their end. Let's try a different way."

They traveled a different route, but still found no signs of life. As they got closer to the school the fighting got more intense. They entered into an open street and found it littered with bodies. Some of them they recognized as fellow students.

"How could they?" Lala asked.

The same question was on all of their minds. They all had the same thought. Whoever was behind this needed to pay.

As they walked a black streak sped past them. It was so fast they barely noticed it. As the four girls looked at what was running past it was as if time slowed down just so they could see it clearly. It was a girl with long black hair running for her life. She was carrying something on her back. It was another girl with blond hair, and one arm missing. There was blood dripping from her exposed stump.

The girl was gone as quickly as she appeared. It took several seconds for the others to comprehend what they had just seen.

The black haired girl was Blake Belladonna, someone Iris had spoken to a few times. Well, attempted to speak to. Blake was a girl of few words. The other girl was Yang Xiao Long, one of the strongest fighters at Beacon. She had gotten into a fight and lost her arm as a result. Whoever could do that to Yang was someone the girls needed to avoid at all costs.

Unfortunately that wasn't their decision to make.

They heard people screaming. The three girls turned and saw someone walking towards them. He had a sword out and was wiping the blood off of the blade with a cloth. He sheathed his sword and stared down the students. He had red hair, two horns, and was wearing a black suit and an ornate white and red mask. Each of them recognized the man immediately.

"Adam Taurus" Lotus said, her heart pounding.

Adam placed a hand on his sword. "You know who I am?"

"Yes. You're an A-class criminal, wanted all over Remnant for murder and acts of terrorism. You've been deemed too dangerous to take in alive."

"Then you know what will happen if you stand in my way."

Yasmin looked past Adam. There were four bodies on the ground with fresh sword wounds. She recognized them. They were Team SLYM. They were unarmed. They must have been caught off guard by the sudden attack and had the bad luck to run into Adam. He killed them just for being there, just because he could.

Iris stepped forward. "Why are you doing this?"

Adam scoffed. "That should be obvious. It's time to end the rule of humans, and create a new world for the Faunus."

"And you don't care how many have to die to make your new world?"

"There is no such thing as a bloodless revolution. Force, and violence are the only things humans understand."

"What about the Faunus who live in this city?"

Adam shrugged. "My men offered them a chance to join me. If they would rather fight alongside the humans then they can die alongside them." He drew his sword and pointed it at Iris. "You of course are no exception."

Iris hefted her axe. "Then I have no choice but to stop you."

Adam laughed. "Very well. I hope you put up more of a fight than the others."

During their back and forth all eyes were fixed on Adam. It was understandable, he was a powerful fighter who had already killed many people this night alone. However the members of Team LILY didn't notice that one of their members was slowly losing their grip. If any of them had looked to their teammate, things might not have turned out the way they did.

The Lamb family was a close ally of the Schnees, and as a result found themselves repeated targets of the White Fang. Lala in particular had suffered greatly at the hands of the Faunus terrorists. She had lost her grandparents, her younger brother, aunts and uncles, cousins, even close friends. What ended up sending her over the edge was the night she lost her parents, and her home. In her diminished mental state she had no idea that the man standing before her was not the one who had taken so much from her. All she saw was the mask, the mask that haunted her nightmares for years. The mask that had taken everything from her with no remorse or pity. The mask that even now wants to torment her further.

Lala gripped her spear until her knuckles were white. All of the fear that permeated her face was gone, replaced with raw fury. She shot forward and stabbed at Adam with her spear. He held up his sword and blocked with the blade. She sent a flurry of stabs at him, but he effortlessly parried every one.

Yasmin didn't understand. He went out of his way to ensure that he blocked with the sword, even the attacks he could easily avoid. She was too late in realizing what he was doing. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Lala, stop!" she shouted. But it was too late.

Adam took a step back and sheathed his sword. He drew it back and swung it with blinding speed. Lala stumbled and fell to the ground, blood slowly pooling around her head.

It was a single cut just above the eye. Death was instantaneous.

Yasmin drew her sword. She knew she had no chance at beating Adam, but she had to try and hold him off for as long as she could.

Lotus and Iris joined her. They each attacked Adam together. It was clear from the start that they were outmatched.

Adam dodged Lotus' punch, jumped over Iris's low axe swing, and parried Yasmin's sword. Without missing a beat he pointed his sheath at Iris and shot her in the stomach, and beat Lotus and Yasmin back with his sword. He had a small grin on his face the entire time. This was a game to him, nothing more than a way to kill time.

The three remaining members of Team LILY were breathing heavily. Adam was on another level compared to their opponents in the past. Even surviving would take everything they had.

Lotus began to dance, and the three girls glowed with green energy. They resumed their attack, much faster than before.

Adam ducked, dodged, and parried every attack that came his way. He saw Iris' axe speeding toward him. He held up his sword to block, but wasn't prepared for the amount of power behind the strike. He was sent flying through a wall.

"You think that was enough?" Lotus asked.

"Of course not" Yasmin replied.

Sure enough Adam emerged from the cloud of dust and debris virtually unharmed. He brushed some dirt off of his coat.

"Impressive. You are skilled. I'll have to take this seriously."

His dark red aura surged. He had a wicked smile on his face. The girls steeled themselves for the ensuing battle.

Yasmin's foot shifted slightly. Adam appeared in front of her and attacked. Yasmin parried his swing and went for a counter. Adam sheathed his sword. Yasmin's eyes widened. He pulled the trigger on his sheath, and his blade exploded from it faster than she could comprehend. There was a spray of blood. Yasmin was slashed across her chest, the blade slicing through her heart. She fell to the ground and died.

He saw an axe speeding toward his head and fired a round into it. it's trajectory shifted and missed him by a hair. He stepped forward and stabbed Iris through with his sword. He wrenched the sword from her stomach and left her on the ground gasping in pain. He raised his sword and prepared to finish her off when Lotus struck him hard in the chest.

Adam sheathed his sword and watched Lotus drag Iris away from the fight. "How pointless. Do you think you can defeat me?"

Lotus walked toward Adam. "I can try."

Adam place a hand on his sword. Before he could draw it he saw several projectiles speeding toward him. He jumped out of the way before they exploded near him.

Each step left an imprint in the ground. The woman's face was the image of rage. Her hands were balled into fists. Dozens of glowing crystals orbited her body.

Lotus gasped with shock. "Professor Peach. What are you doing here?"

Peach adjusted her gloves. "Looking for survivors. Have you seen Maggie?"

"No Ma'am."

Peach looked resigned. "I see." She glared at Adam. "The guys on the council say to eliminate you on sight. I'll be more than happy to oblige them."

Three of the crystals that were floating around her body left her orbit and shot toward Adam like bullets. Adam exposed his blade to absorb them, when they suddenly changed course and went around him before speeding into his back. He was thrown to the ground by the ensuing explosion.

Peach was skilled enough to weave five different dust types into her gloves and her boots, but what made her truly dangerous was her propensity toward brute force. Dust was powerful as a powder, and its power was exponentially increased if utilized in its raw crystal form. The one, quite significant, drawback was its instability. Of course Peach found a way around that. She just threw them. Her semblance allowed her to control the trajectory of anything she threw, and she combined it with her arsenal of Dust to great effect. Even a warrior on the level of Adam Taurus would be at a disadvantage.

Adam coughed and looked at Peach. Gears began to turn in his head. This wasn't someone he could afford to play around with. He would have to end this as quickly as possible.

Peach looked at Lotus. "We've got one shot at this. You ready?"

Lotus nodded.

Peach fired a series of crystals at Adam. They flew towards him in a single file line before breaking apart and spiraling above his head. They came together and fell onto him like explosive rain. He absorbed three with his sword. That was more than enough. He got into his stance. His hair began to glow bright red.

Peach and Lotus ran at Adam together. they charged right into Adam's fatal circle without an ounce of fear.

Adam drew his sword and sliced the two approaching women in half.

Except he didn't. He felt the sensation of cutting into something, but not cutting through it. He saw Lotus holding on to his sword arm. He looked to his left and saw Peach's fist shining with a black light. She punched him hard in the stomach and sent him flying. He jammed his sword in the ground to slow himself down. With a metal screech he slowed to a halt and staggered to his feet. He then fell to his knees and coughed up blood.

Lotus ground her teeth in pain. Blocking that attack had broken her arm. The power behind that sword technique was obscene.

Peach didn't fare much better. She had taken the brunt of Adam's attack. The sword cut into her side, right through the steel fibers she had woven into her suit. Lotus' intervention was the only reason the sword didn't cut through her spine as well.

All three fighters were badly injured. None of them were in any condition to fight anymore.

"How about we call this a draw?" Peach said.

Adam rose to his feet and sheathed his sword. "Very well. You get to live another day."

He turned and walked away into the night. Once he was gone Peach fell to the ground clutching her side.

"God it burns. What is that sword made of?"

Lotus ran to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live. You check on your friend."

Lotus suddenly remembered. She ran to Iris and grabbed her.

"Iris, are you okay?"

Iris didn't respond.

Lotus began to panic. "Please say something. I can't lose you too." Her eyes began to fill up with tears. "Oh god. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never looked out for you. I'm sorry I was such a terrible leader. I still need you. You have to wake up."

Iris grumbled. "Shut up."

Lotus wrapped her arms around Iris. "You're okay!"

"No I'm not. I got a hole in my stomach. Need a doctor."

Iris lost consciousness, but at least she was alive.

Lotus sighed. She picked Iris up and hoisted her over her shoulders.

Peach had stumbled to her feet. "Now what?"

"Yasmin said something about a safe zone. We should head that way."

Peach felt a chill run down her spine. "I don't think that's happening."

Lotus turned around and found the area filled with Grimm. Dozens upon dozens of them. Of course they were here. The despair the four girls felt attracted them like flies to honey.

"You know, I always knew this is how I'd go out" Peach said. She checked her wound. If she was lucky she'd be able to take out fifty before she succumbed to her injuries. She turned to Lotus. "Take your friend and get out of here. I'll hold them off."

Lotus looked horrified. "I cant just leave you here"

"That wasn't a suggestion. Get lost before we all get killed."

The Grimm attacked en masse. A wave of black monster descended upon them. Lotus turned and ran as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at the monster that had latched on to Beacon Tower. The sight disgusted her. it was the capstone on the desecration of her home.

Then something happened. There was a light at the top of the tower. It was blindingly bright, and it expanded far beyond its point of origin. A massive dome of blinding white light expanded so far as to cover the entire city. Lotus closed her eyes and waited for the end. instead she felt a gentle warmth through her body. she opened her eyes and saw that the Grimm that filled the streets were all gone without a trace. The teeth and claw marks covering the ground and buildings were the only signs that they had ever been there.

Lotus didn't understand it at all. She had no idea what had just happened, but she was deeply grateful that it did. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see who it was.

"I'm guessing that wasn't you" Peach said.

Lotus shook her head. "Do you know what that was?"

"Nope." She looked around and didn't hear any sounds of combat. She sighed and clutched at her side. "Guess the fighting's over."


	37. Black Bastards

George's feet made crunching noises as he walked on the frozen ground. He flexed and smiled at Oriana.

"Been lookin' forward to this for a long time."

Oriana waved dismissively. "Can we finish this soon? It is freezing out here."

Noah blinked. "Did you just make a joke?"

George laughed. "I like this new you. Why couldn't you be like this from the start? I might've fallen for you."

Oriana laughed. "There is only one man for me, and you do not compare."

George and Oriana walked toward each other. Oriana kept her sword at the ready. Once they were close enough Oriana swung at George. George blocked the blade with his forearm. His aura completely protected him.

George smirked at Oriana. "I don't know why you're even trying. I might as well be fighting a garbage can."

"Underestimate me at your own peril" Oriana responded.

Despite George's confidence he found himself at a loss. He had never fought a robot before. None of the tactics he was used to would be effective against her. Someone who could keep fighting no matter how badly damaged they got was a new challenge. George tried to think of what to do.

 _Crush her skull? No, I don't know if that'll work. Tear open her throat? Why? She doesn't need to breathe. No heart to tear out, no windpipe to crush, no spine to break, this sucks. Crush her eyes? Maybe. I guess I'll just hit her til she stops moving._

George punched at Oriana's head. Oriana turned to the side and avoided the attack. She tightened her grip on her sword and swung with all her might. There was a clanging sound. Oriana knew that something was wrong. She looked at George's arm adorned with black armor and sighed.

"You have been training"

George struck down with his other hand. Oriana jumped back and avoided it completely.

She resumed her attack. Every strike was delivered with maximum power. Even someone as naturally tough as George needed to focus on defense to stay in one piece.

George started laughing. "Damn girl, when did you learn to fight like this?"

Oriana swung at George's remaining eye. He shifted and avoided it by a hair.

"I have been studying."

She swung her sword again. George parried her attack and countered with a straight. Oriana bent backwards and George's fist sailed harmlessly over her head. The two were at a stalemate. George's destructive power was unmatched. If Oriana got hit once, she was dead. On the other hand George found himself at a loss dealing with Oriana's newfound skill. It was like she had captured the techniques of a master hunter. George was confident in his abilities, but he knew that he had far to go before he reached that level.

On the other end Oriana was finding herself at more of a disadvantage than she thought at first. Her lack of an aura was a major handicap she knew she would have to overcome to win, but George was unlike anything she had ever faced. She would rather be fighting Model 16 again. George wasn't just strong, he was fast, durable, and crafty. How could she beat someone like that?

The answer was simple, she would cheat.

She jumped back and opened up a hole on her left hand. She fired a projectile at George. He put his hands up to block expecting an explosion. Instead it burst into a cloud of dark purplish smoke. George felt a deep sense of dread. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he had to get as far away from it as possible. He jumped back several feet, only for Oriana to fire another projectile right where he landed. George inhaled some of the purple smoke.

At first he didn't notice anything different. He went on the attack but felt like his lungs were filled with barbed wire. He couldn't move as well as he could, and his vision was blurry. He fell to the ground and vomited blood.

He coughed, each breath cutting like glass. "The fuck did you do?"

Oriana didn't answer him. She only walked toward him sword in hand. George got to his feet and attacked again. Oriana's only response was to fire a projectile straight down, obscuring them both in a noxious cloud.

George was powerful indeed. But like everyone he had one major weakness. He needed to breathe. No matter how strong a person was their body needed oxygen to function. Cut off that supply and there was no helping them. To that end Oriana had commissioned the creation of poison gas grenades. She took apart the grenade launcher and integrated the parts into her own body. It was a simple matter to conceal them from prying eyes.

Looking at the weapons on Dr. Whiskey's computer it was clear why he was excommunicated. The weapons he designed were useless against Grimm. The poison gas he had developed was one such example. Grimm had no internal organs, something that prevented them from breathing would be worthless against them. He had tried to make his case by saying that this weapon was meant for human enemies, but that had only caused the higher ups in the military to exile him faster. The last thing any of them wanted was for anyone to get the idea that Atlas was plotting against the other kingdoms.

Either way, while the weapon was unethical at best, no one could deny its effectiveness. A small dosage of the gas could cause irreparable damage to anyone who inhaled it. The dosage George had taken was fatal. No matter what happened he was going to die.

And yet when she looked at him she didn't see the grim resignation of someone who knew their fate. She saw his eyes shining with a determination she had never seen before. He moved faster than she anticipated. She dodged his attack at the last possible second, but not before half of her face was taken off by his fist. One of her eyes was destroyed, and her vision was severely limited.

George laughed and spit blood. "You think you can beat me by farting in my face? I thought you knew me better than that."

George's aura surged. Perhaps it was because he knew his life was nearing its end. He was drawing upon all of the power he had left.

Oriana couldn't stop smiling. This is what she wanted. A true fight to the death against a seemingly impossible enemy. She started to laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun.

"Yes, this is what I wanted all along. Come, I will end your life shortly."

George smiled. He focused his aura around his fist. He ran at Oriana. His body felt like it was made of lead. His eye slowly lost its vision. He didn't understand the feelings running through his mind. He was going to die, that much was certain. But he was going to go down swinging. A part of him was happy that he was going to see his friends again. Although he never said such things to anyone else, he was lonely, and he was tired of wandering through life without a purpose.

 _Oh well, knew this was coming. Can't think of any other way this was gonna end. God, it hurts._

Oriana looked at the readings George gave off. The fight was already over.

George's fist flew towards Oriana. Before it connected George stopped. The aura around his fist had dispersed. He couldn't focus. The gas had done too much damage. He couldn't fight anymore.

Oriana could have just waited, but she didn't want to give him even the smallest chance. She swung her sword and severed George's right arm. Blood spurted from the stump as his arm fell to the ground with a soft thud. George's eye was drawn to it. While George was distracted Oriana cut off his left arm as well. Oriana delivered one last attack and drove her sword right through George's heart.

Oriana jerked the blade out and watched George fall onto his back. She stood over him, her sword held high. She was going to cut off his head for good measure when something made her pause.

It was the way he smiled at the end, like it was the happiest he had ever been in his life. In this moment she felt like she finally understood him. They were more alike than either of them knew. The both of them were just looking for the right place to die. They were weapons, and all weapons broke in the end. George wanted to go while he was still sharp. He didn't want to rust and rot like so many around him. Oriana was glad to grant his wish.

"You were strong, but strength alone is not enough to defeat me."

She turned and faced Noah. He looked as cool and collected as always.

"Impressive. I didn't think you could pull it off."

Oriana sighed. "You are cold, inhuman even."

Noah laughed. "Look who's talking. Besides, isn't that what they wanted me for? Now that I think about it, Reid was probably the only one of us who was actually human. You and George are just weapons. You're like a gun, you just get pointed at an enemy and they die."

Oriana smirked. "Oh, how astute. But I wonder, if Reid is human, and George and I are weapons, then what does that make you?"

"You should know that by now. I'm nothing. I'm nobody. I'm a fabrication, a lie, a pale imitation of a human being."

Noah's aura flared. The readings he was giving off were unlike any he had before. Oriana couldn't help but be a little curious. Something had happened to Noah, something drastic.

Noah laughed even harder. He laughed through the unimaginable pain he was in. he laughed as his bones shattered and his muscles tore.

"And because I'm nothing that means that I can become anything."

The ground beneath Noah broke apart. There was a powerful gust of wind, and Oriana's right arm was gone.

Oriana couldn't understand. Noah shouldn't have been able to move like that. However in the back of her mind she couldn't even be sure of that. Like he said, nothing about him was certain. Maybe he'd been hiding his real strength for this moment.

Oriana grabbed her arm and wrenched the sword from her grip. She turned to face Noah, and was in awe.

Noah looked the same for the most part, except for the two extra arms he had sprouted. His arms were thick and muscular, and there was a sword in each hand. His smile was wide, the blood flowing from his mouth staining his teeth.

Oriana would be terrified if she were capable. "I do not even want to know what lead you to this."

Noah attacked again. His swords were a whirlwind of destruction. Oriana parried each one with her sword, but couldn't avoid them all. One of Noah's swords passed through her stomach. The blade narrowly avoided her spine. Oriana countered and cut off one of Noah's arms with one swing. Noah laughed and instantly regrew his missing arm. The missing sword manifested in a cluster of golden light.

Oriana was concerned about the readings Noah was giving off. The way his aura kept increasing defied all logic. But more concerning was his heart rate. It was like he was on the verge of an attack. No, no one's heart could withstand such a strain.

Oriana pushed those thoughts out of her mind. This was a fight, concern for the enemy would get her killed. She attacked again. Noah was fast, but he was simply flailing at random. She could easily avoid his attacks. She cut off all four of Noah's arms and slashed him across his chest, destroying his heart and lungs. Noah didn't fall, he simply stood.

Oriana shook the blood off of her blade and walked away. This wasn't nearly as difficult as she thought it would be. She was about to call home when something made her pause. Noah's aura didn't fade. In fact it kept increasing. That wasn't possible. He was dead. And yet when she turned back around she wasn't able to avoid the attack that took off her remaining arm.

Noah screamed like a feral beast.

"Not good enough. You think I didn't plan for that? I can make anything, why wouldn't I make another heart? In fact, why stop at just one?"

Instead of making more arms he had sprouted dozens of thin, fleshy tendrils. Despite their size they were powerful. One whipped at Oriana. She dodged, and the ground split where Noah had struck.

Oriana called forth her floating weapons. The beams burned through the flailing tentacles, but they grew back faster than she could destroy them. It took everything Oriana had to avoid them. Evasion was all she could do, she had lost the ability to fight back.

She started to laugh. She laughed at the blood stained ground strewn with limbs, she laughed at the person who had thrown away their humanity in a bid to cling to life, and she laughed at the audacity of the situation she had found herself in.

Noah laughed along with her. He didn't even really know why he was fighting so hard. He knew none of this mattered in the end. His life was merely a forgery. By the time he had started to become his own person it was already over. Yet it was the one thing that was truly and irrevocably his, and he was determined to hold on to it.

Noah fired his tendrils at Oriana. Each one shook the ground when they impacted. Oriana burned through them, but couldn't keep up with the onslaught. A cluster of them curved around the beams and sped toward her head. In the next second they would pierce her head and destroy her brain.

But then they stopped a hair short. Noah's aura readings bottomed out. He fell to the ground and vomited blood.

"Guess that's what I get for trying something I wasn't used to. Oh well, at least I had fun."

Noah's heart stopped beating.

Oriana wasn't the kind of person to look a gift horse in the mouth. A victory was a victory no matter how it came about. She walked up to Noah's body. A sense of curiosity came over her. She recalled that Noah's appearance was a byproduct of his semblance. In that case would his aura fade upon death, or would it remain?

Balls of golden light dispersed from Noah's corpse. His body had changed, but not in the way Oriana had expected.

Noah's face was completely featureless, his hands had no fingerprints, and he didn't appear to have any hair. Most puzzling off all was that his skin was pitch black. Even his clothes were black. He was like a walking shadow.

Oriana blinked. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't this.

"An enigma to the very end."

Her ear started buzzing. "What is it?"

Her father answered. "Is it done?"

"Yes, I have successfully completed my mission. I will return to the base as soon as possible. I'd like to request some assistance."

"Assistance for what?"

"To help me bury them. They fought valiantly, they at least deserve that much."

"If you say so. I'll send out a couple guys I trust. They should be there in about an hour."

Oriana ended the call and sat down. In time she saw another ship land nearby. Two soldiers stepped out and surveyed the scene.

One of the soldiers gasped in horror. "What the hell happened here?"

Oriana shrugged. "I got into a fight."

She directed them to a spot where they could fashion a makeshift grave. The two soldiers dug into the hardened ground until they made a hole deep enough to store the bodies. Noah and George were placed inside and had dirt piled on top of them until they were sealed beneath the ground. Oriana stood over them.

"Goodbye boys. It was fun, for a time."

She followed the soldiers back to their ship. As soon as it took off she closed her eyes and waited to return home.

* * *

 **AN:** I had this in mind for a long time. Even before there was a Team NGRO I knew that this was how their story was going to end. It might sound strange that I knew that I was going to kill them off before I even knew their names, but that's the kind of story I tend to gravitate toward. I enjoy writing things that resonate with me personally, and those tend to be violent and angry stories about horrible people.

In any case, we're nearing the end of this story. If you've stuck with it for this long then I thank you. I hope you stick around to see what I have in store in the future.

See you next time


	38. Four Page Letter

It's been three weeks since the incident that the media dubbed "The Fall of Beacon". It was one of the greatest mass casualty events in Remnant history. After spending days searching every inch of Vale they were able to determine a near exact number of over five thousand civilian casualties. Of course those were just the civilians. Adding to those losses were fifty hunters-in-training, eighty Atlas military personnel, four Dreadnaught warships, four Atlesian Paladins, one hundred Atlesian Knights, and a one-of-a-kind experimental combat android.

At this moment the woman wanted nothing more than to be with her superior. She wanted to support him in his time of need. Unfortunately the chance never presented itself. He had spent every waking moment since his return to Atlas giving testimony before the council and trying to convince them that he didn't declare war on Vale. It wasn't a matter of whether or not he would be able to keep his job, but whether or not he'd be spending the rest of his life in prison or end up facing a firing squad.

The woman sighed. In any case, it would be far too improper to try and meet with him now. Doing so would send the wrong message. The last thing she needed was for people to think that she was still the lovesick girl she was when she enrolled in the academy. Besides she had far more pressing things to attend to at the moment.

She had been sitting in her office when she got a message on her scroll. That was the first problem. Only other members of the military have her number, and the general was the only person who would even call. She opened the message and found a letter. She read the letter and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. At first she was going to write it off as a hoax, but there was something in addition to the letter. There were photos, news articles, police reports. The content of the letter was genuine, and knowing that, there was only one thing for the woman to do.

She found the office of the person she was looking for. It was now or never.

Her companion tugged on her arm. "Is this really the right thing to do?"

The woman frowned. "What is right and what is just are not always the same." She knocked on the door and let herself in.

Officially the woman was a captain. However her role as a specialist meant that there were very few people in the military who could give her a command. The person the specialist came to see was not one of those people.

"Sergeant Blueblood. I was wondering if I could have a word."

The sergeant saluted. "Captain Schnee. What brings you here?"

Winter placed her hands behind her back. "I just had a very illuminating conversation with Sergeant Redbone. Something about the two of you taking a group of men from a prison, having them infiltrate Beacon academy, and commit a series of murders throughout Vale over the course of the year. One of the men in question was Reid Wenland, who if you recall was serving a life sentence for burning children to death in their beds."

The woman paled. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Winter couldn't allow herself to get angry. To do so would blow the entire operation. "You can drop the act. He's already on a one-way ship to Vacuo. He was quite willing to give you up to get a better deal for himself. He said the entire thing was your idea and that he tried to talk you out of it. So I have you for unlawful release, espionage, committing an act of war against a neighboring kingdom, treason, and over one thousand murders. Am I leaving anything out?"

Sergeant Blueblood broke into a visible sweat. "That son of a bitch."

Winter was grinning on the inside. She had told a small lie. Sergeant Redbone was already dead. He had been shot six times in the back outside his home in robbery gone wrong. At least that's what the official report would read.

Winter cleared her throat. "What I want to know is what was in it for you? The home invasion, the office murders, those ten men in an abandoned building, Lakeview village, what purpose did any of it serve?"

Blueblood was confused. She didn't know anything about a village. It didn't matter either way, she was done and she knew it. "It doesn't matter. So now what?"

Winter's gaze was as cold and hard as her namesake. "Under normal circumstances I'd have you brought before the council and they'd hang you from the tallest building in Atlas, but in light of recent events I must make certain accommodations. The two of you were General Ironwood's responsibility, and if I were to have you arrested then he would be held accountable as well. I cannot allow that man's career to die because of you."

"So what then?"

Winter reached into her coat and pulled out an envelope.

"What is that?" Blueblood asked.

Winter placed the envelope on the desk. "Your confession. You've been embezzling money from the military. At first it was small, negligible amounts, but soon it spiraled out of control and you were facing decades in prison." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver revolver. "Rather than face punishment for your crime you decide to end your own life, but not before writing down a detailed letter describing your wrongdoings. Your file will be buried in a storage locker, and your death will be just another footnote to the tragedy of the past month."

Blueblood's eyes widened. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Winter scowled. "Do I look like someone with a sense of humor? You have two choices. The first is the one I just presented you. The other is you refuse and I take this directly to General Ironwood. And after he shoots you through the head for what you've done he'll turn himself in to the council to face execution for his negligence. After that they'll investigate the Beacon staff and possibly charge them as accessories. I hope you have the sense to choose the correct option."

Blueblood's eyes went to the girl standing next to winter. She had orange hair with rainbow streaks that was tied back in a ponytail, and her tail was curled around her waist.

"What does she have to do with this?"

Winter looked to her companion. "Well, after your tragic suicide Private Katt here will discover your body. She will be quite distraught, seeing your work is what inspired her to join the military after all."

Blueblood was horrified. "She's just a child."

"And we both know what children are capable of."

Blueblood picked up the revolver and cocked back the hammer. She held it in her hand for a few seconds before pointing it at Winter. Her face was twisted with rage as she pulled the trigger. But when she did nothing happened. No matter how hard she squeezed the gun wouldn't fire.

Winter sighed. "I figured you would try that."

There was a small black glyph around the gun's hammer, locking it in place. The gun had been rendered inoperable.

There were few people unaware of the Schnee family's genetic semblance, but there were even fewer who had experienced Winter's total mastery of it and lived to tell the tale. She had spent countless hours using and refining the various forms until she could call upon glyphs of any size with minimal effort. Ones like the miniscule one that jammed the gun she could create without lifting a finger.

Several more black glyphs appeared up Blueblood's arm and around her fingers. They began to move her arm into a different position. She tried to resist them, but they put out much greater force than their size would suggest. They forced the gun against her temple. Tears started to stream down her face.

"Please, don't do this."

Winter glared at her. "You deserve the same mercy you granted those innocent people." She tapped Neon on the shoulder and they turned to leave the room. As soon as Winter shut the door they heard the sound of a gunshot.

"Wait ten minutes then go back inside" Winter said.

Neon nodded. "This feels, wrong."

"You wanted to know what being a specialist is like. It means that sometimes you have to do things that seem immoral. Even if it serves a greater purpose the things you have to do may weigh on you. Not everyone can bear the weight." She turned to look at her. "I don't suppose I have to tell you what will happen if you tell anyone about this?"

"I understand."

"Good. I have some other matters to attend to." Winter saluted the young girl and walked away. She pulled out her scroll and read the letter again.

"Hello. My name is Noah Pyrite. If you're reading this, then I'm already dead. Myself and three others were taken from Whitestone Prison and sent to Vale to act as mercenaries. We maintained our cover by infiltrating Beacon Academy. Over the past year we have been responsible for several murders throughout Vale. I understand if this sounds difficult to believe, but I am telling the truth. I've prepared several documents that will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am being truthful. At this point in time I and my companions are dead, but the two responsible for our release are still at large. They must be brought to justice by any means necessary. We were horrible people, monsters even, but they are worse. We would have been content to serve our sentences in peace, but they saw fit to order us to kill under pain of death.

The two individuals I am referring to are Sergeants Redbone and Blueblood of the Atlas Military.

If I may make one last request, please do not blame the staff at Beacon. They had no idea what we were doing. They are innocent in all of this.

Regards, Noah Pyrite"

She deleted the letter and all of the attachments.

OoOoOoOoO

Oriana was surprised at how easy it all was. Typing the letter took mere seconds. Hacking Winter's scroll to get her contact information was as simple as getting a good look at it, and using it to monitor her conversation with Sergeant Blueblood was as simple as waiting for her to get in range. It was all so easy it was almost insulting.

As soon as Oriana heard the gunshot she knew Winter had done exactly what she had expected. Winter wasn't the kind of person who would let something like that go, and neither was Oriana in a way. The boys were mad dogs who needed to be put down, but you couldn't get mad at a dog when it bites someone. You have to go after whoever set the dog loose in the first place.

But Oriana wasn't thinking about that at the moment. She was in the Military's robotics lab listening to her father provide details of what had happened at Beacon after she left. She couldn't stop laughing once she heard one fact in particular.

"So Model 16 gets destroyed by her own weapon and then the person who did it gets killed an hour later? You have got to be kidding me."

Her father joined in her amusement. "No, it's true. Too bad no one knows exactly what happened up in Beacon Tower. Whoever she mixed it up with they ended up blowing the whole top off."

Oriana sighed. "I am almost disappointed that I missed it. It must have been quite a battle."

To say that the military was in disarray after the events at Beacon would be a grave understatement. All of the personnel were so busy with various tasks that none of them gave a blood spattered young girl with no arms and half a face a second glance. Even the guard robots that should have fired on her as soon as they detected her were nowhere to be found.

Oriana suddenly looked more serious. "What will happen to Ironwood?"

Her father sighed. "I don't know. It all depends on whether or not he can convince them that what happened wasn't his fault. I hope he pulls through, I've always liked him."

Oriana smiled. "I do as well." She turned towards one of the monitors in the lab. "Are we finished yet?"

"Almost, just a few more minutes."

She was laying back in a chair with several wires inserted into her head. The data she had compiled over the past year was being copied to her father's computer. There was quite a bit of it.

"So did you have fun?" her father asked.

Oriana didn't answer for a while. She didn't really care for the boys at all, and she initially wanted no part of what the other scientists had planned. But she did get to go outside and see the world. She got to experience things she never would have otherwise. And in a strange way she had even made friends.

"I didn't dislike it" she said.

A pinging noise came from the computer.

Oriana's father clapped. "Good, everything's copied. Congratulations on completing your mission."

"Thank you. Now then, on to the next matter."

Oriana's father navigated to a file deep in Oriana's memory. It was her core file. It contained her personality, her memories, and the files that allowed her to function at all. Everything that made her who she is was contained within.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"This is what we agreed upon. I have completed my mission, so there is no further purpose for me."

"I never thought you'd be in such a hurry to die."

Oriana laughed. "I am not dying. I was never truly alive. Now get on with it."

The scientist sighed. "Alright. I love you, my little weapon"

Oriana smiled at him. "I love you too daddy."

Her father pressed a key and deleted the file and all of its backups.

"Ah."

Oriana instantly felt her mind empty. She had experienced something similar before, but the sheer finality of this experience was like nothing else. The slowly encroaching darkness, the thoughts and feelings slowly fading. This was death. This is what she had brought to so many others.

"How sublime."

The lights in her eye faded, and all function ceased. The last surviving member of Team NGRO was no more.

Her father rose from his chair and left the lab. As he left he shut off the lights, bathing his daughter in darkness.

And so ends the story of Team NGRO, four individuals brought together to do unspeakable evil. No record existed of their crimes, no songs are sung of their deeds. Their names only exist as whispers among a select few. Their journey, their trials, and their sins would soon fade from memory, and it would be like they never existed at all.

All four would agree that that would be the best outcome.


	39. Write Your Name Across The Sky

It's been a year since the attack. Most of Vale had been rebuilt, and people were slowly returning to the city. Beacon was still overrun however, and the path to the school had been sealed off. There was a certain anxiety in the air. People knew that there was no way an attack like that could happen a second time, but there was this lingering doubt in the back of their minds that prevented them from truly being at peace.

None of that was on the woman's mind as she walked through the city. She looked at the boarded up windows, the streets blocked off with police tape, and the makeshift memorials on every street corner. She noticed the looks people gave her as she walked past. Some were grateful, others looked afraid. A few people saluted her. She didn't know how to feel about that. It wasn't like she was some kind of hero, she was just doing her job. Besides she wasn't the only one fighting, she was just one of the survivors.

She pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Today wasn't supposed to be bogged down by depressing thoughts.

Before any of that she had a stop to make. She found a florist's shop on the way to her destination. She walked inside and immediately had a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"How are you Agnes?"

Peach smiled. "Doing good. Just came by to pick up some flowers."

"Are you going to see her again?"

"Yep. Got anything good for me?"

The florist went into the back and came out with a bouquet of red and white flowers.

"The rose and lily combination is one of our most popular items."

Peach reached for her wallet. "How much?"

The woman frowned. "You know I can't take your money."

"Why not?"

"You saved my life."

"You shouldn't have been in danger in the first place. That's on me."

The florist rolled her eyes. "Come on, enough with that. No one could have seen what happened coming. What matters is that I'm alive because you helped me. I would have been just another name on a wall if it weren't for you."

Peach sighed. "Alright." She took the flowers and left the shop. "You take care."

That was one stop down. Now she could head to her destination. She had been there enough times that she could make the trip with her eyes closed.

She walked into the cemetery and walked up to the groundskeeper.

"Hiya."

The man smiled at her. "Agnes. It's good to see you."

Peach waved at him. "Hey. Here for visitation, figured while I'm at it I should pay for upkeep."

The man shook his head. "How many times do I have to tell you? I won't charge you or any of the staff. Those kids are heroes and I'd be happy to keep their memorials tidy. Besides between the donations from the SDC and the other kingdoms we've got more than enough to pay for the grounds keeping."

Peach shrugged. "If you say so."

She walked through the rear door and into the field of gravestones. The cemetery was larger than before. In the middle there was a massive black slab. There were names engraved in them. Peach walked up to it and read every single one. She did every time she came here. It was just another reminder that what happened that night wasn't just a bad dream. It was real, and there were real consequences.

She walked through the cemetery. She'd been here enough times to know exactly where she was going. It was a plain gravestone with a name engraved into it. She sat down and placed the flowers in front of it. She looked at the name on the grave. Every time she saw it her heart ached.

 _Margaret Grimes_

She recalled the first time she had come here. It was a week after the attack. She'd only been awake for a few days and had spent hours looking for Maggie. She was inconsolable when she found out what happened to her. If it weren't for Glynda, Peter, and Bart there was no telling what she might have done.

"There I go thinking about negative things again. How you been Maggie? Having fun wherever you landed? I'm not gonna ask if you found Reid, from what I heard you and him went in separate directions. At least you got your friends with you. I couldn't believe it when I heard. Your team took out twenty White Fang, including two lieutenants. I know you always said that nothing could make up for what you did before, but I think that helped a little. Me? I've been okay. The school's still closed down, and the tower's still busted, but other than that I've been fine. I've been helping Glynda clear the school out. That hasn't been going well. Most of the city's been rebuilt, and people are coming back. Man, I still can't believe it's been a year. I was all messed up when you died. I damn near lost my mind. But, that's all in the past. I'm fine now. I wish you coulda seen the service they held for everyone. It was beautiful. They had these doves and there was singing. There wasn't a dry eye in the whole place." She got up and stretched out. "Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'll be back soon. Bye. I love you."

She walked past the gravestones and back towards the exit. She glanced at the names on the stones she passed. Some she recognized as Vale citizens, others were former students.

"There are too many of these."

"Tell me about it."

Peach turned and saw an older looking man with a silver hand. He was wearing a trench coat that was filled with slash marks and bullet holes.

Peach recognized the man as the detective who came to the school last year.

"How goes it?"

Detective Cotton shrugged. "I've been better. I won't ask what you're doing here, figure you're here to see someone. A student of yours?"

"Yeah, my daughter."

Cotton winced. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't at peace with it. What about you?"

"My partner." He started to laugh. "I got shot three times and nearly had my guts ripped out, but he wouldn't leave me behind. The guy always was a bleeding heart. Too nice for his own good I always told him."

"Yeah, I know the type. So what are you doing now? Still a cop?"

Cotton snorted. "Hell no. I put in my papers six months ago. I'm retired. I'm just paying one last visit before I leave Vale for good."

"Congratulations I guess. Where are you going?"

Cotton grinned. "Menagerie. I got a buddy who moved out there after he retired. Married a bunny girl half his age and now they have three kids together. Maybe I'll meet someone myself."

Peach laughed. "Maybe. Have fun." Before she turned to leave a question popped into her mind. "The boys, do you really think they did the things you said they did?"

Cotton shrugged. "Even if I did think so I can't prove it. Besides, I'm not a cop anymore."

Peach waved goodbye and walked to the exit. She had taken care of her business, so now she felt like taking a break. She found a food stand that she ate at often. The old man running the stand saw her and began preparing her meal.

"Room for one more?" a voice asked.

Peach looked to her side and saw a lean, tan girl with waist length hair sitting next to her. Her normally black hair had white streaks in it.

"Lotus. It's good to see you."

Lotus grinned. "You too. What are you doing in the city? I thought you and Professor Goodwitch were still clearing out Beacon."

"I had some free time so I went to see Maggie."

"Really? I just went to see Lala and Yasmin. I thought we'd see each other."

"Must have just missed you. How's Iris doing?"

Lotus perked up. "Way better now. They flew in this doctor from Atlas and had him do some operation. They say she'll be able to walk again before the year is over."

Peach sighed. "That's good to hear." She grinned at her. "So when are you gonna make your move?"

Lotus grimaced. "Never probably."

Peach nudged her with an elbow. "What's the problem? Why not just go for it?"

Lotus rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah I can see that conversation. 'Hey Iris I know you've been stuck in a hospital bed for months, your boyfriend fled the country because he's probably a serial killer, and he's most likely dead, but setting all that aside wanna hook up?' No thanks, I had my chance and I blew it."

Peach laughed. "If you say so."

Lotus pressed her fingers together. "I heard they put together a team to try and arrest Adam. How did that go?"

"Five dead and three critically injured, that's how it went. I still can't believe we survived."

Lotus sighed. "We barely made it. You almost got cut in half and I nearly lost an arm."

Peach didn't respond. The two of them ate in silence.

"Do you think they did it?" Lotus asked.

"What?"

"Team NGRO, do you think they really did what that cop said they did?"

Peach sighed. "Who knows? They're all gone, and the police station was destroyed in the attack so all the evidence is gone too. I don't think we'll ever know for sure."

"I guess not." Lotus rose from her seat. "See you around."

"Tell Iris I said hi."

She finished her meal and went off to work. She had been doing it for a year with nothing changing. The Grimm came into the school faster than they could clear them out. The immobile dragon was constantly drawing other Grimm toward it.

Even so she wouldn't stop. She would complete her task even if it killed her. She owed it to Maggie, and to all of the other students that fell in battle. This place was their home, for some it was the only one they ever knew. It deserved better than to be defiled by monsters.

Her shoes clacked on the broken tile floor. Dozens of red eyes pierced the darkness.

Peach grinned at the approaching threat. "Come and get me."

* * *

 **AN** : And like that the story's over. I had this idea pop into my head and I knew I had to write it down. This is my first time writing an actual story and I ended up learning a lot from it. Mostly how the English language functioned since I completely forgot everything I learned in school once I graduated. I still couldn't tell you what a semicolon is for.

Another thing I learned was how easy it is to fall prey to your baser instincts when no one tells you to stop. I often found myself resisting the urge to go further than what I thought people would be comfortable with. You can see that in the first few chapters, which if I had the time I would probably rewrite.

But, putting all that aside, I just want to thank you for reading this. Whether you read it all the way through or if you dropped it at the third chapter it means a lot to me. I also want to thank everyone who left a review, even if it was just to call me a racist. Any and all feedback is important in helping me grow as a writer.

This story is over, but I've got more ideas for the future. I hope you all continue to support me in the future. For now, the only thing left for me to say is see you next time. Take care.


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